The Human Condition
by Zixzs
Summary: Amethyst and he had a lot of things in common. Being short, loving video-games, even caring about the other so much. But when an abnormal opponent unconventionally forces Smoky Quartz to split, Steven realizes there's only so much he wants to share with Amethyst.
1. Provenance, I

(I don't own Steven Universe)

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 _I: Provenance, Part I_

"All I'm sayin'," a voice emanated from behind Steven, sounding bored, "is that we don't _know_ if the thing is even here for sure."

Momentarily broken from his search, the young Gem looked up for a moment, being careful not to hit his head on a low-hanging branch. He turned towards the voice just in time to see Amethyst pass through the tall grass and into the small clearing he was investigating. Much like her voice, the Gem wore a bored expression on her features, obviously not enjoying the current mission.

A tall figure followed just after Amethyst, having noticeably more enthusiasm. Pearl, unsurprisingly, waved off Amethyst's lazy doubts, chopping at the dense foliage surrounding them with her spear. For a fraction of a moment, a sliver of fatigue could be read on her face. It didn't last too long, but Steven still noticed the brief exhaustion regardless. Pearl shook her head, rolling her eyes towards Amethyst.

"After all these years," she began, shaking the left-over blades of green from her weapon, "I'd think you would stop doubting Garnet."

Steven had felt similar, but didn't want to incite any kind of argument. Thankfully, Amethyst didn't appear to be in any mood for bickering, the Gem unceremoniously falling onto the soft grass underfoot with a _*thump*_ and matching groan. It was enough to get Steven to talk, though not enough for him to mention the couple of beetles Amethyst had probably crushed.

"We haven't been here _that_ long, Amethyst," he reasoned, turning around to continue checking over the same patch of long grass before him. Eventually he'd give it a proper search. A small groan met his logic as he bent towards the ground. Careful not to accidentally harm the small insects crawling out in front of him, Steven heard Amethyst explain herself. At least, her attempt to explain herself.

"But I had _plans_ today," she let out with another groan, blowing a loose lock of hair out of her face. Having heard this argument before, Steven hummed acknowledgement, though moved a little further towards the trees. Ironically enough, Pearl didn't seem to get what Amethyst had meant by "plans". The Gem halted her own search to turn towards Amethyst questioningly.

"'Plans'?" was all she asked, a skeptic look on her face. She was met with a languid shrug as Amethyst draped an arm over her eyes, sighing.

"Yeah," she responded flatly. "Sleepin'. Eatin'. More sleepin'. Y'know, plans."

Not that she could see, but Amethyst felt Pearl's eyes narrow in continued skepticism. "Right," she said with a shake of her head, the roll of her eyes nearly audible. "How could I have forgotten your _daily_ routine."

Chuckling to himself, Steven continued moving through the brush, searching for some semblance of a magic Gem creature. So far, all the three of them had to go off of was a crushed tree near the warp-pad, and that could've happened because of a simple storm. Pearl did have a point about Garnet being right, though. Plus, while the expanse of jungle surrounding them might've been large, finding Gem corruptions had become far easier with practice. Determined to locate their target, Steven took a strong step through the bush in front of him, and promptly felt nothing underfoot.

For a fraction of a second, Steven felt himself enter a free-fall as he heard some exclamation from Pearl. His leg continued moving downwards, missing any surface he had expected to take his weight. Then, a tight lash was thrown around him, instantly yanking him back into the brush he was just searching. It took another few seconds for Steven to come tumbling back to the ground, his senses in a contradictory disarray. He stared up at the tall trees above, still processing what just happened. His mind was as blank as the brief sight he peered through the bush. Amethyst entered his vision with a worried look on her features, shaking her head.

"I know you can float and all," she told him, rolling her eyes, "but it's still a pretty long way down, Steven."

Eventually, he made sense of the last few seconds, and sat up with a curious frown. Pearl's panic was easy to see regardless of whether or not he paid attention to her. Ignoring her comically wide eyes for the moment, Steven moved back to the foliage he was just attempting to search, practically feeling Amethyst's grasp on her whip tighten. Carefully, he moved the vegetation aside, and noticed a stark lack of green past him. Another few moments of stupefaction passed.

"We're on a _floating_ _island?_ " the young Gem questioned aloud, seeing more than a couple clouds at eye-level. Confused, he looked past the edge of the ground, seeing a broken line of dirt where the rest of the jungle should've been. Far below, a vast expanse of yellowed grass stretched seemingly for miles. A light breeze touched his face, carrying the usual chill that came with excessively high altitudes. Steven could feel a cautionary hand placed on his shoulder as he re-evaluated exactly where they were.

"Where else would a flying Gem be?" Pearl reasoned with an unfamiliar laugh. A bit of force could be felt trying to pull Steven back into the jungle alongside a request for him to please step away from the edge. He obliged, but not before a couple more moments of wonder.

"How many of these are there?" he questioned aloud, being careful not to somehow slip and fall backwards. Pearl had a similar paranoia, according to the steady hand on his shoulder. Amethyst wore her own version of worry, keeping her whip out for just a little while longer. She shrugged once he was a sufficient distance away from the edge, saying that she had no clue. Like it was designated protocol, Steven turned towards Pearl for a better answer. She didn't seem able to give one.

"The Diamonds _did_ like their views," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Oddly enough, Pearl didn't say more about the matter, so Steven didn't question. He returned to the mission at hand, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin.

"So," he began, nodding to himself and ignoring Amethyst's slight chuckle at his attempt at seriousness, "If I were a big, corrupt, flying Gem living in a floating jungle, where would I be?"

The other Gems thought alongside Steven, placing their own hands on their chins with respective hums. Amethyst suddenly snapped with a matching "Aha!", accruing the others' attentions. She nodded to herself, as if satisfied that she found the answer first.

"In a _floating jungle,_ " she reasoned, looking pleased with herself.

Like Steven had expected, Pearl groaned, saying that much was fairly obvious already. Amethyst shrugged innocently. "I'm not _wrong,_ " she explained. After a brief grin, Steven returned to thinking just long enough to hear a subtle shuffle past Amethyst. She didn't seem to hear as much, leaning against a nearby tree with a bored expression. However, she did seem to notice Steven's sudden halt, causing her to do the same.

"What?" she questioned after a few silent seconds. Steven raised a cautionary hand, maintaining the quiet and moving a little towards Amethyst. She could sense enough of his careful motion to stay still. Pearl had done the same, abruptly pausing her movements to avoid making any unnecessary noise. Tentatively, Steven moved past Amethyst, keeping his eyes on the bush behind her. It seemed to be shaking, almost.

Still careful, he reached towards the foliage, preparing for whatever lie behind it. They hadn't seen many Earthen animals in their brief search, so something hiding within the bush denoted some degree of inspection. Just as Steven moved a lock of grass-blades aside, an unrecognizable blur of green sped towards his face with alarming speed.

Battle instincts kicked in, and he threw his hands in front of face, inadvertently catching whatever threw itself at him. The impact was still jarring enough to throw off his balance, and Steven went tumbling to the ground with a harsh grunt. Not even a full second passed when he could hear both Pearl and Amethyst exclaim his name again, much louder than when he nearly fell a dozen hundred feet.

"I got it!" Steven vaguely clarified, getting more of a grip on the mystery creature. After a few moments of struggling, the creature's movements died down enough to let Steven identify it. At least, attempt to. Like Garnet had vaguely described at the mission's start, the Gem appeared analogous to some kind of four-legged bat, sporting the kind of anatomy that would've baffled most people. Steven wasn't most people, though.

"Nice catch!" Amethyst cheered with a noticeable fist pump, dropping to where Steven sat to see their target closer. Pearl gave a similar praise, leaning downwards to see the Gem herself. As if humbled by their gazes, the creature's movements almost ceased entirely, though it still fidgeted nervously. Not that it had much of a face to tell its expression, but Steven got the feeling it was more than a little scared by its quivering. Its small size pushed the idea.

" _Now_ you quit hiding?" Amethyst questioned, jabbing a finger towards the creature. "Took your sweet time, pal."

Curious himself, Steven turned towards Pearl, tilting his head. Sure, he was glad to have found the creature so easily, but with how out of the blue it'd decided to be caught, he felt like he was missing something. Pearl pondered similarly, a thoughtful look spreading across her features.

"Maybe it was attracted to our yells," she reasoned. She moved a little closer to the corruption as if investigating it further. "It doesn't seem to use sight, so there's a good chance it relies on noise."

That made sense to Steven. He'd probably have a hard time seeing things if he lacked eyes, too. The corruption's general fidgeting gradually quieted, though Steven was careful to maintain his grip. At the same time, he found himself trying not to be too forceful in his grasp. Amethyst's features softened as well, reflecting his own doubts about what they'd been sent to capture. The Gem in Steven's hands seemed far smaller than the corruption Garnet had described prior to the mission's start, and its trembling didn't exactly match the supposedly ferocious nature they'd been told about, either. Pearl seemed to have a similar thought process, placing a hand on her chin with a hum. She muttered something about the task being far easier than it should've been, prompting Steven to investigate.

"Is this really the monster?" he asked her simply, understanding Pearl's confusion. The Gem nodded hesitantly.

"It... should be," she affirmed with a hum. Amethyst did the same, leaning backwards in a satisfied pose. Her expression didn't really match. Steven sat up a bit straighter, inspecting the Gem closely. Surely something this small could be apprehended by only one of them. He looked over it carefully, trying to give the corruption a little more space to move. Still, it appeared more terrified than anything else. An odd thought occurred to him just as Amethyst admitted they should probably bubble it.

"Where's her Gem?" he questioned aloud, turning back towards Pearl.

Startled, Pearl raised an eyebrow at Steven. She leaned towards the corruption in his hands, looking for any semblance of a physical Gem on its body and finding none. Piqued, Amethyst moved towards Steven herself, now frowning.

"Somewhere on there," she figured aloud, "right? I mean, that sure as heck ain't any _normal_ animal."

Considering the odd lack of a nose or eyes, unnatural colors, and asymmetrical number of toes on its legs, Steven found himself agreeing with Amethyst. Still, doing another once-over check ensured that no shiny stone could be found on the corruption's body. Pearl promptly hummed, coming up with similar results and not wanting to agree with them.

"It must be inside of it," she deduced. Though not completely outside the realm of possibilities, Steven found it impossible to recall any other corruptions with Gems on their interiors. At the same time, there wasn't really a limit to how odd a corruption's body could get.

A few moments passed as the other Gems considered the notion. Steven hummed, attempting to look inside the corrupted Gem's mouth to be sure. Unfortunately, the use of his hands around the corruption's body made that a little difficult, as it didn't make any attempt to show him where its Gem was. Amethyst hummed herself, an irked frown pulling her eyebrows together. She absentmindedly pulled at a few blades of grass nearby.

"We gotta poof it either way, don't we?" she eventually let out. A sliver of disapproval could be heard in her voice. After realizing she was right, Pearl agreed with a similar caution. Steven frowned, giving the Gem in his hands a lingering look. It didn't exactly seem as severe as they'd assumed. Almost innocent, somehow.

"Wait," he began with a hopeful look on his features. While she wasn't surprised by it, Amethyst's regret noticeably intensified for a moment, knowing what Steven was going to propose. He continued, relaxing his grasp on the small Gem just a tad further. "What if she's like Centipeedle was? She can't be that dangerous, right?"

He didn't like admitting it, but Steven had honestly expected a weathered sigh from Pearl. She didn't speak right away, allowing Amethyst to fill in the quiet first.

"Well..." she began hesitantly, leaning towards the odd bat-like Gem. She reached a careful hand towards its furled wings. "Sure doesn't _look_ dangerous..."

Just as Amethyst could register the hard surface of the Gem's hide, it hissed suddenly, jerking away from the contact. The motion was so sudden that Steven could feel his grasp forcibly loosen further, to the point of being a loose brace at best. By the time he thought to re-tighten his grip, it was too late. The corrupted Gem wriggled itself from his hands, though not as cleanly as it might've hoped. Steven's hand had managed to latch onto one of the Gem's wings in the confusion, and for a brief moment, it seemed like he still had a good hold on keeping the Gem in place. This hope was lost as soon as Steven heard an odd _*pop*_ and was left with nothing more than one of the Gem's wings. Just a second after that, the wing dissipated into dust. The damaged corruption quickly scampered under the grass and back into the jungle, staggering a fair amount.

Though startled, Pearl wasted no time in shouting to follow the Gem before running to do just that. Amethyst paused just a little longer out of the surprise, then shot herself up to a standing position with a similar enthusiasm. After shaking his head, Steven did the same, stumbling into a sprint towards where the Gem had fled. Thankfully, it hadn't been right off the edge of the floating island, though the path it took was almost parallel to the island's drop. Steven tried not looking to his side as he ran.

The other two Gems hadn't gotten too far in front of Steven by the time he found his pace, though the dense foliage of the island made catching up an ordeal. Still, the stark contrast of Amethyst's white hair against the green of the jungle helped in following his companions. According to the exasperated insults he heard from Pearl some distance ahead, the Gem they were attempting to re-capture was agile enough even with only half of its wings. Now that it was dashing away from them rather than towards them, having to navigate the brush was suddenly a lot more inconvenient, which Amethyst made a point of stating between her own curses. A few conveniently placed branches tripped up her words enough to avoid saying anything too vulgar.

Steven continued running after Amethyst, growing increasingly appreciative of how bright her hair was. Evidently, something as small as their target in such an expansive environment was a little more difficult to catch when it wasn't heading _towards_ them. Navigating the jungle was even harder with actively trying to not fall off the side of the island, meaning Steven had noticed the branch Amethyst hopped over only _after_ colliding with it. The impact of his ankle with the wood was loud enough to startle him, regardless of the impact itself. His leg stopped suddenly while the rest of him attempted moving forward, causing him to fall to the ground in another unceremonious tumble of leaves and tall grass. This time, however, his foot stayed where its was, forcing an awkward pivot on the rest of him. A bolt of fire shot up his leg alongside a disconcerting _*crack*_ , both of which originating from where the low wood caught him. He was moving too fast to discern much immediately, though some yelp of pain escaped his mouth on instinct.

"Steven!" the Gem heard somewhere in front of him once the world stopped spinning. Shaking his head, he attempted to clear his vision while letting out an automatic response to his name.

"I'm fine!" he assured in some random direction, still not getting a grasp on his bearings. It took longer than normal for the blur in his eyes to dissipate, eventually revealing the source of the burning pain. The sight before him made a persuasive case that he was _not_ fine, but capturing the corruption took more precedence. "Just get the Gem!"

Trying to move to a more comfortable sitting position, Steven inhaled sharply through his teeth. His foot probably wasn't supposed to bend that way, though the broken branch next to him let him think that the tree breaking had been the source of the louder _*crack*_ rather than something on the inside of his leg. He hoped. An approaching shuffling through the grass attracted his attention, which was a welcome distraction. He looked up just in time to see Amethyst's concerned expression, the Gem momentarily out of breath. She looked down a bit further towards Steven's foot, grimacing.

"Now I might not... be part-human myself," she breathed out between gasps of air, "but that is _definitely..._ not fine. Eugh."

As much as Steven appreciated Amethyst's concern, he tried downplaying the damage as best as he could. "Just hurt my foot," he quickly explained, waving for Amethyst to continue the chase. Half of his reasoning was instinct; the other half was plain urgency. "I'll be fine, keep chasing that Gem."

Oddly enough, Amethyst snorted to herself, sitting on the grass next to Steven. "Funny," she said with a shake of her head, getting her breath back from the minor sprint, "didn't peg you for a tough-guy." Before Steven could mention how far the Gem could've gotten away by now, Amethyst raised a hand in defense. "I think Pearl can get some small-fry like that herself. Ain't like it'll take both of us to catch it."

While true, Amethyst's casual pose was difficult to accept. Steven made to protest the mission's importance, though was stopped with another wave from his companion. "Chill," she eased with another chuckle. "You're starting to sound like Pearl."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Steven sighed. Even he had to admit that a Gem that small couldn't do too much besides run. Still, he was hesitant to so casually dismiss what could've been another step towards curing corrupted Gems, which Amethyst seemed to spot rather easily.

"We can adopt the thing later," she shrugged casually. While not exactly what Steven had in mind, he relaxed a fraction. He was about to state his hopes for Pearl feeling similar before Amethyst cleared her throat, motioning towards her friend's surprising show of flexibility. "You might want to fix that first, though."

Steven looked back at his foot, grimacing a little. Honestly, the sight of it was worse than the brief pain, if only a little. With a nod, he licked his hand before carefully placing it on his ankle, wincing a little from the contact. He could feel the damage repair itself almost instantly, which was an exceptionally weird sensation in the case of broken bones and joints. Amethyst darted her eyes away as his spit worked its magic, as though mildly disgusted by the sight of his foot being put back in place. A thought occurred to Steven.

"You shape-shift all the time," he began, carefully moving his foot and still wincing a little, "but you don't like stuff like a broken ankle?"

Amethyst looked back at him, noticeably trying to avoid seeing his foot (though it already appeared brand new). "Nah," she dismissed casually, "Ain't like that. Just don't like seeing that stuff on people that I..."

Oddly, Amethyst paused, causing Steven to tilt his head questioningly. The rest of her statement was given surprisingly slowly. "...know."

An awkward pause filled the quiet before Steven got what she was saying. He nodded with a matching "Ah," not needing to hear much more. Amethyst seemed glad that she didn't have to give much more. Direct candor wasn't one of her strong suits, but that didn't mean she wasn't concerned. To alleviate the awkward air, Steven tried bending his foot, causing another wince of pain. He could see Amethyst's worry intensify just for a second. Regardless, he gave her a reassuring grin.

"I'll be fine," he affirmed, carefully standing back up. It wasn't so bad as long as he didn't make any excessive movements. Amethyst's brief worry lingered for a second, then seemed to dissipate as she nodded to herself. She still made a point of telling him to avoid doing stuff like that in the future, to which he agreed. After another odd bout of silence, Steven cleared his throat. "We should probably catch up to Pearl."

There was a noticeable delay between when Steven talked and when Amethyst heard him. When his words _did_ reach her brain, she nodded, throwing an outward thumb over her shoulder.

"P's probably that way," she said with a shrug, standing up and turning back around. If Steven wasn't as curious as he was, he might've missed the split-second glance Amethyst took at his foot. He hummed acknowledgement, following after Amethyst's purposefully slow pace. Not that she seemed to openly acknowledge her pace, though. Still curious, Steven tried getting another read on her features.

"I _am_ fine, Amethyst," he assured her again, knowing her well enough to understand her subtle version of concern. Her pace didn't change.

"Mhm, I know," she shrugged off, humming. Being careful with where he stepped, Steven nodded to himself, hoping she actually took his word. The ironic part was the sharp pin-pricks in his foot telling him he _wasn't_ entirely healed in so short of a time. For both the mission's and Amethyst's sake, he ignored it. He's been through worse, anyways. Amethyst surely had to have known that much, and yet she still seemed troubled to him, somehow.

"But," she abruptly stated, pausing for a second. She placed her hand on a nearby tree, as if looking for some kind of support. Needless to say, Steven halted his pace as well, wondering what his friend was currently thinking. It wasn't every day her concern was so openly shown, especially about something so arguably trivial. She turned to face him directly, having a determined expression on her features. "I-"

Just as she opened her mouth, a distant yell halted her vocal cords. The familiarity of the shout caused both of the Gems' gazes to whip back forwards, facing the direction Pearl had likely chased the minor corruption they'd more-or-less found earlier.

"Pearl?" they both questioned in disbelief. Amethyst took about one step towards the noise, as did Steven (though not as forcefully). All that kept them from sprinting towards the yell was the distant shuffling of foliage getting closer and closer at an alarming rate. Some distance ahead, a dense bush quivered before being cleaved in half by a familiar looking spear.

"It _is_ like the Centipeedle!" Pearl called to her companions, the distant expression of panic on her features clear as day. Frowning in confusion, Amethyst tilted her head towards the Gem. She couldn't utter a single syllable before Pearl closed the fair length of ground between the three of them, panting for breath. Steven spoke for his companion.

"What do you mean?" he asked urgently, being hesitant to take his eyes off of where Pearl just came from. After a few mandatory gasps of air, she pointed to the bush previously in her way, muttering one word.

"Mother."

As if on cue, the remnants of the bush were smashed entirely by some tree. Then Steven shook his head, doing a double-take to make sure he'd seen that properly. Amethyst had done similarly, recoiling slightly. "Whoa!" she exclaimed in awe, her voice almost drowned out by the far crash of wood. "Big momma!"

What Steven had assumed to be a tree had lifted up slowly, as if being abducted into the sky. The thick trunk of wood turned out to be a massive leg, a few sharp protrusions on the end denoting some kind of massive claws to go with it. The limb was pulled aside to reveal what was presumably the corruption's body, which wasn't unlike the comparatively smaller corruption they'd managed to find earlier. Steven couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing that its body wasn't much larger than its legs, sporting similarly sized wings. He had to question how functional they were.

"That is, uh..." he started slowly, watchful of the corrupted mother's movements. It didn't seem to notice them quite yet, though was obviously looking for something (probably Pearl, if Steven had to guess). The Gem finished his lingering statement for him, a concerned grimace on her features. " _Definitely_ dangerous," she affirmed quietly.

For a brief moment, the Gems observed in silence. The mother didn't seem too aware of its surroundings as it moved, though its size let it simply crush or shove any obstructive trees aside. Steven noted how in the minute or so he's seen the major corruption, it essentially made a clearing in the jungle without even trying. Its lack of eyes seemed to contribute towards its clunky movements, as well as its inability to currently see the Gems across the span of twenty or so feet.

"We missed _that?_ " Amethyst questioned in disbelief, her eyes wide. Steven had a similar thought, wondering how something so large and arguably clumsy had any business being hard to find. Pearl gently placed her hands on his shoulders to pull him away, trying to step away slowly without drawing too much attention to them. A quick motion towards Amethyst told her to follow her example.

"It was resting when I found it," Pearl explained in a shushed tone, not taking her eyes off of the sizable corruption. Suddenly, it let out an earth-shaking roar, as though frustrated at its fruitless search. The Gems froze as it swept a massive leg through the trees, creating a cacophony of splintering wood and crashed foliage. A smaller branch-turned-projectile forced each of the Gems to fall to the ground quickly as it cleaved through the air above them. Steven let out a harsher gasp than the others, finding that dodging the branch counted as an excessive movement as far as his foot was concerned. Barely, he could see Amethyst notice as much, giving him a worried frown.

"You alright?" she whispered, likely trying to minimize their chances of being noticed. Pearl looked at him similarly, though didn't fully understand what caused Steven's sharp intake of air. After a preparatory breath, he nodded, trying to give Amethyst a reassuring smile once more. Then that smile dissipated as he noticed the corruption getting larger past her.

With a burst of speed, Steven threw a hand towards Amethyst, managing to grasp her shin. Since Pearl had moved back with him earlier, she was probably close enough already; he couldn't tell whether Amethyst was close enough or not, and he didn't really want to take that risk. All she let out was a surprised "Wha-" before he yanked as hard as he could, hoping that she could forgive the sudden jerk later. The moment that he registered her passing the imagined threshold, he willed his protective bubble into existence.

Just as the pink barrier rose up from the ground underneath them, a massive arm (or leg) collided with the side of Steven's bubble, striking it into the denser patch of trees behind the three Gems. The trees themselves nearly broke from the impact, splintering and bending as though they were toothpicks. Thankfully, the wood's broken-inwards shape provided just enough support to stop the bubble from rolling, though it took a bit longer for the bubble's occupants to come to a halt. Pearl, after a mandatory shake of her head to get her bearings, tried standing up as best as she could in the bubble's comparatively small space. Steven took a bit longer to right himself, more concerned with whether or not Amethyst was alright. She had been the furthest from the bubble's center when he created it, so he thought his concern with justified. A weathered groan alleviated some of his worry.

"Thanks for the save," Amethyst granted, rubbing her forehead. Before Steven could breathe a sigh of relief, the corrupted Gem roared again. It was loud enough even with the glassy barrier between them. The three Gems winced on instinct, seeing the massive hunk of the corruption's arm raise again through the glossy pink of the bubble's interior. Amethyst couldn't even curse before the bubble was struck again, this time more directly downwards as opposed to the previous sweeping motion. The trees underneath them buckled a little, creaking and splintering further with the loud _*cracks*_ and _*snaps*_ that usually accompanied destroyed wood. Though he was glad his bubble still held, Steven didn't exactly enjoy being pummeled into the ground. The others didn't seem to appreciate it, either.

Pearl turned towards him, if only to see he was alright himself. She didn't have much to really tell him in terms of a plan. Seeing the corruption raise its arm again, an idea came to Steven, and he braced. The corruption seemed to hesitate for a moment, seemingly noticing that whatever it hit hadn't been obliterated into pieces. That must've been a first for it, Steven thought. If he wasn't so focused on his timing, he might've noticed Amethyst's inquisitive expression alongside Pearl's questioning gaze. The corruption threw down its arm again, either out of frustration or pure instinct. At the same time, Steven threw his palms outwards, willing his bubble to change shape. Amethyst seemed to notice what he was doing just before Pearl did.

The moment the corruption's arm came into contact with their current shelter, a swarm of spikes suddenly protruded from the bubble's surface. They impaled the corruption's hide in an instant, dotting its arm with numerous holes. Feeling the similar impact on the bubble let Steven know that its third strike was just as fast as its first two, so he wasn't all that surprised when the corruption recoiled instantly, letting out a damaged roar through the jungle.

"Now!" Steven vaguely exclaimed, hoping he wouldn't have to explain too much. He dropped his bubble as fast as he could, letting the three of them fall to the splintered trees underneath them. They slid to the ground, careful to avoid the sharper breaks of wood created from the bubble's impact while still eyeing the corruption. It was preoccupied with its arm for the moment, so Steven used the time to regroup with the others a fair distance away. Amethyst congratulated his thinking as she jogged to the unspecified cover they'd agreed on, cheering with a wide grin.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Pearl cautioned, gripping her spear. Amethyst rose an eyebrow at her. After a brief pause, Steven snorted, comically snapping his fingers. She rolled her eyes. Amethyst hummed, seeing the corruption shake its arm as if to reduce the pain. Some of the new holes seemed to come out both sides, surprisingly.

"Don't think this'll be fair," the violet Gem mused, humming. Pearl's dire expression hadn't changed, though she gave a begrudged hum. Steven felt similar, noting that this might've been the largest corruption he's see to date. It could've been one of the Diamond's pets for all he knew. A snap from Amethyst attracted his eyes to her, and he saw a smug grin grow across her features.

"Think we should level the playing field?" she pondered, raising an open palm towards Steven.

Pearl nodded, agreeing that the corruption's size did little to give them an advantage. It shook its arm again before letting out a furious roar towards them. A determined expression settled on Amethyst's features, though the lingering pride of her expression was difficult to miss. Still smirking, Steven nodded, matching Amethyst's determination. He could hear Pearl give a hum of approval, now brandishing her spear with a lot more confidence than before. With an increasing brightness, Steven threw his hand into Amethyst's, quite literally.

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 **A/N:** Welcome, kind reader, to _The Human Condition!_ Stay a while and listen/read! This is a fic I've wanted to try for a while, and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter enough to click on the next and delve into this tale. Likewise, I hope you enjoy this story as a whole; I've had a lot of fun writing for it, and I probably won't be finished for a while since I don't have any real "ending" planned. One of those "let's just see where it goes," and I gotta say, I'm definitely happy with where the first half-dozen or so chapters went. Check 'em out! :D


	2. Provenance, II

**A/N:** Welcome back! Normally, I'd have a great deal of words on my mind to put down in this text box, but I don't want to keep you. Let's continue, shall we?

(I don't own Steven Universe)

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 _II: Provenance, Part II_

The sound of the corruption charging was momentarily interrupted by a distinct droning noise. Thankfully, the new fusion formed quickly enough to move out of the way, dashing to the side of the corruption's path alongside Pearl. Their target collided right into the broken trees that laid past the Gems, creating another cacophony of destroyed wood and foliage.

"Missed, sucker!" Smoky Quartz taunted in their trademark childish voice. Pearl might've mentioned the ineffectiveness of talking to their target if she wasn't busy moving away from it further, wary of how far its arms could reach. Only a second after brandishing their yo-yo passed before Smoky threw the weapon into the corruption with a loud _*crack*_.

Unfortunately, the corruption appeared unperturbed, shaking off the impact and leaping back into a forward charge towards Smoky. There was something to be said for consistency, at least. Still, the closer distance between them meant getting out of the way was a lot more difficult this time around. They leaped to the side, trying to bend outwards as much as they could. For an eerily drawn out fraction of a second, they could see an outstretched claw from the corruption nearly come into contact with the Gem at their naval. Within the same second, their eyes grew wide.

Pearl had called out an unspecific warning the moment she'd seen the corruption's second charge, though that thankfully appeared irrelevant. Smoky had moved accordingly, jumping a fair distance back towards the clearing made earlier. However, it didn't look like they'd landed all that well. Pearl could see the fusion stumble a little, nearly falling into the tall grass of the jungle. About a second after that, she could see the blatant shock on their features, clear as the current sky. The corruption beside them growled, obviously losing what little patience it had.

"That was... close," Smoky muttered. They were surprised by the severity of their own voice a little after it fell out of their mouth, though hearing another ear-splitting roar jump-started their instincts.

Without a second thought, Smoky hurled their weapon into the denser foliage above. The yo-yo hadn't even come to a full stop around some branch before they yanked as hard as they could, pulling their self into the green above with an agility few would usually attribute to someone of their size. The corruption seemingly matched Pearl's confusion, stuttering to a halt and stopping against another tree with a _*thwack*_.

A couple of silent seconds passed. Though not physically strained too much, Smoky panted as they sat up in the trees, both left hands helping them balance. Their right was loosely clasped around center of their abdomen, where one of their Gems lay. They stared at the corruption below, seeing its open maw pant similarly to them. Then the corruption turned towards Pearl.

"Crud," Smoky let out on instinct. There was a brief hesitation before they shakily let go of their bare stomach, reaching a preparatory hand outwards. The yo-yo was reeled back into their palm after another moment.

Out of instinct, Pearl readied her spear, but she couldn't quiet the fear that settled on her features. This corruption was far out of her league. It didn't seem to care too much, now shifting its aggressive stance towards her as opposed to the more fairly matched fusion. She took a few steps back, already analyzing how long it'd take her to regenerate this time around. The corruption didn't grant much of a time to breathe (metaphorically, in her case), already moving into a sprint towards the Gem and shaking the jungle with its burly legs. Before it could get out of range, Smoky threw down their yo-yo towards the corruption, not really sure where they were aiming. They didn't exactly throw so much as drop, either.

Gravity had helped enough for the yo-yo to have some impact when it collided with the corruption, stumbling it and bringing its movements to a clumsy halt. Pearl wasted no time in moving back towards the trees that Steven's bubble had broken earlier, finding that their breaks had created convenient ramps upwards. High ground did seem to be the corruption's weak point, according to how it made no attempt to go after Smoky earlier. Pearl pondered how useful the corruption's wings were before a look back towards Smoky stopped her thoughts. They barely held onto the yo-yo's string, having an open palm outwards that suggested either a lack of focus or a lack of trying. Even the sweat adorning their forehead was visible from where she stood.

Instinctively curious, Pearl felt a frown bring her eyebrows together, the Gem trying to understand her companion's actions. Then she tried to understand why Smoky's right arm was grasping one of their left arms, as if trying to push it to the side out of indecision. The tight grasp around their left arm almost seemed like they were trying to stop themselves from using their weapon. The sudden look of startled dread on their features only added to the illusion.

Suddenly, the corruption back on the ground roared, obviously displeased that both of its opponents had taken to hiding in plain sight. The noise did seem to take Smoky out of their panicked reprieve, though. Now shoved back to reality, the fusion looked downwards towards the corruption, seeing its wings unfurl with audible cracks. It was akin to watching someone stretch their neck. With another displeased roar, the corruption threw itself into the air like a bag of angry bricks, stretching a monstrous open claw towards Smoky. Something about the approaching danger jump-started their brain, and they awkwardly released their self from the branch they stood on. Pearl could see that they didn't seem to plan for doing that, either.

Still, gravity had helped once again, allowing Smoky to clear the corruption's ascent in just a second or two. Their eyes lay fixated on the outstretched claw, seeing it cut through the branch they had used like it was wet tissue paper. In the next second, the fusion's sizable body collided with the ground, not quite landing right. They were only granted a few seconds of confusion before a growing shadow above them caught their attention. Gravity had unfortunately felt a little too generous, bringing the corruption back down towards them at an alarming rate. They wasted no time in dodging to the side, haphazardly rolling and/or leaping. Their opponent crashed into the area where they stood just a fraction of a second ago, sending more foliage flying outwards from the impact.

Smoky stumbled away, having a tight grasp over their stomach. The usual lack of taunting or general talking warranted enough worry from Pearl on its own. The Gem used the brief stun induced by the corruption's aggression to meet Smoky's evasiveness half-way, jogging back to the fusion with a look of concern. Smoky's own startled features did little to calm her own.

"Are you injured?" Pearl asked immediately, assuming the worst. Considering how adamant Smoky was to cover one of their Gems, she didn't think her assumption was that far off. Smoky eventually turned towards her after a delay, shaking their head in silence. The denial would've been far more comforting if Smoky had said anything alongside it; they weren't exactly the quietest of people, especially given their components. Still worried, Pearl frowned, her grasp on her spear loosening a fraction. "Then what-"

Before she could ask what the blatant worry on their features was for, Pearl felt a large hand on her shoulder stop her words.

"Move!" was all she could hear before being drastically shoved away. A second after her unceremonious tumble, she could hear massive feet pounding into the ground at a steadily louder rate. Pearl looked at Smoky just long enough to see them catch the corruption's maw wide open, forcing them backwards from the impact. Their shoes struggled against the grass underfoot, trying to find a solid hold and coming up with nothing. The corruption continued moving forward, pushing Smoky seemingly out of frustration. Rather than comment on the corruption's poor dental hygiene, Smoky stayed in a quiet panic, contesting the sharp set of teeth. Pearl's voice eventually reached their ears a little too late.

Before they could even register the warning, Smoky could feel the sliding grass underfoot be replaced by seemingly nothing. In the same second, they realized that the ground _had_ been replaced by nothing. Gravity took hold, swiftly pulling them (and the beast currently trying to have a meal out of them) into an arched descent. The grassy side of the floating jungle came into view a ways past the corruption. That view promptly became smaller and smaller as Smoky continued falling, only being given an angry monster to hold onto.

Just as an open claw reached towards them, Smoky shoved their self away from the massive teeth, attempting to clear as much distance as possible. They were awarded just enough room to keep the asymmetry of their arms. The yo-yo trailing behind the corruption was yanked back into an open palm, and swiftly given a prayer before being thrown back upwards towards the floating jungle above. It landed into the dense dirt with a loud _*THUD*_ , digging securely into an open collection of tree roots. Thankfully for the fusion, the sudden jerk of their weight at the yo-yo cord's length hadn't completely severed their connection, budging the yo-yo only a little out of place. An instinctive sigh of relief left their mouth. Within the same second, the sigh heightened into a startled gasp.

Smoky looked down towards their proportionally short leg, seeing a massive claw clamped around it. If the corruption had eyes, it probably would've been a 50/50 on whether they'd be angry or smug. The rest of the corruption's body fell into an arc around its grasp, making no attempt to use its wings. As expected, the yo-yo far above budged a little more as the corruption's weight fell onto it. Smoky was given about two seconds to curse the corruption out before the strain of its weight forced the yo-yo from the island entirely, pulling the tree it'd used as support with it.

The wind began whipping their hair upwards once again, the only other sensation being the tight grasp around their leg trying to crush it. Combined with the initial panic that had settled after narrowly avoiding the corruption's first attack, Smoky could only stare in silence as the opposing claw came into view, outstretched as if to take something off of their outfit.

Time seemed to slow down in that instant; everything could be seen with a disconcerting clarity. The corruption's grasp, the approaching tree above, even the slack weight of the yo-yo's cord were all felt with some equally inexplicable and inescapable dread. Smoky's mind, already in a scattered mess of worry and fear, came to a split decision in that drawn out second, and reality resumed its normal pace.

Without warning, their skin gave off an incredible luminescence, rivaling the sun's brightness. The corruption seemed confused at how its hostage's leg had shrunk to nothingness; in the next moment, it was confused by the lack of any hostage. Just a second after realizing Smoky's decision, Steven felt the cold air whip at his face. He tumbled downwards, attempting to get his bearings in the brief moment of balance he was given. Underneath him, he could see the corruption fall a relatively long distance away from his much lighter self, but that wasn't what he was concerned with. Steven desperately looked around for his former partner, his eyes still wide despite the cold bite of wind. A turbulent mound of white hair attracted his attention to the side.

"Amethyst!" he called out on instinct, spreading his arms and trying to slow his descent. The Gem hadn't been separated too far from him initially, but her less than graceful fall through the open air made enough of a distance between their speeds that identifying her features wasn't something Steven could accomplish all that easily. With a little more force of will, Steven tried to make himself somewhat lighter. This resulted in Amethyst appearing to speed by him for a brief moment before he could calm his nerves enough to control his floating ability more effectively. Past Amethyst, the corruption seemed to be having some difficulty in using its wings, flailing around like a skydiver who brought the wrong backpack.

After a bit more tumbling and keeping himself balanced (and a few worried glances at the approaching ground far below), Steven more-or-less caught up with Amethyst in terms of height; getting to her horizontally took a bit more time. It didn't help that she made no effort to meet Steven half-way, the Gem still tumbling around without much control. She didn't even make an effort to shift into a bird, worrying Steven a bit more. Now within touching distance, he reached an arm towards Amethyst, trying desperately to grab onto something. Telling her to take his hand didn't have much of an effect on her state of free-fall. Thank goodness, Steven's open hand had finally managed to grasp her wrist on about the third try. Her contact calmed his nerves enough to slow a little further, somewhat on purpose.

Steven harnessed his floating abilities a bit more, being careful to slow his descent at a pace that wouldn't dislocate Amethyst's arm while simultaneously trying to not crush it with his grasp. The wind in his ears died down as they slowed (the same couldn't really be said for his quickened heartbeats), but he couldn't hear Amethyst say anything back for the duration. Her long hair covered her features, hanging down similarly to the slack pose of her body. Now in a gentle fall, Steven huffed, breathing out a heavy sigh of relief. His other hand wrapped around her wrist on instinct.

Below them, Steven could see the corruption get smaller and smaller as it likely tried to pry its wings into a more useful position. He supposed that the wings were more of an abnormality than the extra legs, considering how useful they were to the corruption. Just before he could thank gravity for doing the Gems' job for them, the corruption suddenly stopped flailing and seemingly grew. Those apparently unconventional wings swept outwards, slowing the corruption down considerably. Even more disconcerting was the sudden aptitude it now seemed to hold, balancing itself in a matter of moments. Though the far sight of it was difficult to interpret, Steven could still tell it wasn't getting smaller anymore. Now the corruption was getting closer, and nearly coming to a halt in the air let him see that it was now ascending.

"Uh oh," was all he muttered.

More out of habit than instinct, Steven willed his bubble back into existence, creating the barrier with little more than an offhand thought. Amethyst was within the threshold, thankfully, though she probably wouldn't appreciate being knocked around in the air like a pinball. Still, Steven thought it would've been better than the alternative. As the monstrous wings moved in their fittingly sluggish flaps, a whistling above distracted Steven enough to look upwards. The sight of a distant yellowish tree wasn't entirely expected, but it made sense after a few moments of thought.

An oddly quiet moment passed after this thought occurred to Steven. Sitting still in the middle of the air was almost peaceful, if it wasn't for the approaching beast underneath his friend and him. In a bizarre fascination, Steven watched the tree continue its falling, keeping his eyes on it even after it flew past him like a wooden bullet. Then, seeing the alignment of the tree's path and the corruption's, another thought occurred to Steven. The same thought seemed to occur to the corruption a little too late.

With a far off crash of wood, the tree slammed into the corruption's raised head, splintering around the smooth surface of where its eyes would've been with so much force that Steven was surprised at how unperturbed the corruption looked. Then again, it didn't have much of a face to tell for sure. Through the pinkish tint of his weightless barrier, Steven saw the corruption's wings gradually slow in tandem with its ascent. It didn't roar or let out any sign of harm, which seemed to ironically signify the damage more. The corruption could only reduce the distance between it and Steven's bubble to about twenty or so feet before it stopped moving entirely, its legs freely swaying in the open air. After a brief pause of silence, the corruption began falling back to Earth, still not moving.

Steven continued watching in silence, the bluish form eventually reducing to a dot in his vision. That dot seemed to stop shrinking a moment before dissipating in a noticeable cloud, around the same time Steven had estimated it would've hit the ground. He hummed for a second. Then, he gasped.

"Amethyst!" he exclaimed again, as if he just recalled she was a separate person now. Worried, Steven frowned at her, tilting his head to get a better look at her features. As much as he wanted to move an arm to part her hair, he didn't want to risk that being as far up as they were. The bubble was pretty good for defense, though he had to reason it'd be less effective against gravity. Steven said Amethyst's name again in a more desperate attempt. "Amethyst?"

The Gem still didn't return anything, limply hanging from Steven's grasp in silence. It was more than a little unsettling, especially considering her loquacious nature following a victory. Steven wasn't sure she was aware of that much, however. Though he couldn't make out her features, the very air around her seemed to give a feeling of exhaustion. Even her hair seemed like a tired gray rather than a shining silver. Still frowning, Steven accelerated their descent, not once looking back up at the distant floating island above. Pearl would likely follow not long after they landed. A few more attempts to talk to Amethyst were given without much success.

Carefully watching the tall grass underneath, Steven was cautious to make their landing as gentle as possible. He allowed Amethyst's slack boots to come into contact with the bubble's floor, being attentive to lay her down in what was hopefully a comfortable position as he planted his own feet on the ground. The bubble dissipated after a short moment.

"Amethyst?" Steven tried one final time, now moving a hand to her face. He cleared the long bangs from her eyes, hoping they weren't closed in some unconscious state. They were. He thought the most that she'd suffered was the unceremonious tumbling through the air following Smoky's dissipation, so he couldn't find much reason for her quiet now. Like she was stuck in a nightmare, Amethyst's face contorted in a displeased grimace. Steven frowned in response, still unsure as to why (or even how) she could be caught in a dream. She slept often, sure, but not so soon after fighting a corruption. The lingering adrenaline of falling ensured Steven wasn't going to match her sleep any time soon.

Humming, Steven gently pat her cheek, hoping that might have more of an effect than a few hundred feet of free-fall had. He put a bit more conviction in his voice, saying her name louder. She didn't do much besides lethargically swat at his hand, still caught in some kind of sleep. It wasn't the most unusual reaction to his contact, speaking from his experience, so Steven crouched a little lower in the yellowed grass, tapping his companion's face a little harder. That seemed to do the trick.

With a familiar groan, Amethyst slowly peeled her eyelids open, wincing from the broad sunlight of the day. The frown adorning her features intensified as she lazily draped an arm back over her eyes, muttering something about five more minutes. The noise of Steven clearing his throat grabbed enough of her attention to get her to look at the concerned expression he wore. Her features changed from irked to apprehensive in a matter of seconds.

"Steven...?" she eventually asked, her voice like a scratched record. She could've spent the past week in a desert for all it said alone. Hearing herself, the Gem cleared her throat, though that didn't help her vocal cords all that much. "What... where...?"

Amethyst uncertainly looked around, appearing at a total loss. Steven's worried grimace intensified as a result.

"Are you okay?" was the first thing he concerned himself with. There was more that he wanted to ask, but ensuring the well-being of his friend came first. Amethyst looked unsurprised at his inquiry, like she was used to getting asked that on a regular basis. That thankfully wasn't the case, though she could still understand his worry fairly well. After another hesitant look around, she nodded. If he was being honest, Steven didn't think she was all that convinced herself.

"Yeah, yeah," she breathed out in a sigh, shaking her head. She clutched her forehead tightly. "Think I'm fine. Don't see why I wouldn't be."

Steven couldn't see any visible reason for Amethyst's discomfort either, but it was obvious something was off. The paler complexion of his friend cemented the fact. Steven crouched further, inspecting his friend's face carefully. A brief panic suddenly settled on her features.

"Did we get that thing?" she quickly asked, mirroring Steven's concerned look. "Please tell me I didn't choke or anything."

It took Steven some time to understand her sudden apprehension. After recalling the earlier skirmish they shared, he waved reassuringly, nodding.

"Yeah," he told her with a small grin, "She didn't stand a chance against us."

Steven looked to the floating island far above for a moment, humming. "Or that tree."

Amethyst hummed in response, though she didn't seem all that reassured. An unfamiliar look settled on her features, the Gem silently looking at some point on the horizon. Rather than whoop in triumph or comment on how well she and Steven worked as a team, she stayed utterly quiet. All that Steven could hear was a couple mumbling statements about how it _should've_ been easy. He might've also heard something resembling Amethyst telling herself not to worry, but it was such a foreign message coming from her that Steven didn't entirely trust his ears. Before he could ask anything about the sudden change in her demeanor, she looked to him again.

"So you got the Gem too, right?" she tentatively questioned. Someone as laid back as Amethyst obviously worrying so much didn't sit well with Steven, but her question did kick-start the more "professional" instincts he'd been attempting to instill in himself. His body moved automatically, jumping to a standing position and stretching what little of the neck he had to try and look above the tall grass. Even facing almost opposite to Amethyst, he could feel her frown intensify. She quickly moved to ease him, bringing up her palms defensively.

"Chill!" she urged him, sitting up straight. Surprised by Amethyst's loud tone, Steven moved his eyes back to hers, persistently worried. A few seconds passed as they looked at each other in an awkward silence. Then, Amethyst cleared her throat, suddenly realizing how dramatic she'd sounded. She reverted to her usually casual tone after a another hesitation.

"I mean, it'll take a while for it to regen. We got some time, so don't go all Gem soldier on me."

Steven digested her words for a few more seconds. "Right," he let out, an embarrassed blush filling his cheeks, "sorry."

He chuckled a little, moving back to the grass he previously sat on. The smallest hint of a smile returned to Amethyst's face; while it was a welcome sight, her exhausted features were only made more prominent by it. Her long bangs really did resemble the weathered silver of the elderly. Returning to the initial source of his concern, Steven leaned towards Amethyst, trying to understand her sudden loss of energy.

"Why were you, uh," he began, seeing a strained sweat adorn Amethyst's brow, "y'know, sleeping?"

Amethyst seemed genuinely surprised at the notion, her tired eyes widening a fraction. One of her eyebrows rose before she recalled the gap between falling off the island above and where she now sat.

"Sleeping, right," she muttered, like she remembered something she'd rather forget about. Curious, Steven tilted his head towards hers. She spoke after a preparatory sigh.

"I dunno," she admitted, rubbing her neck in a guilty manner. "Just... got real tired, I guess."

Amethyst didn't expand anymore, either not wanting to give any more information or not having it. Steven wasn't sure which was the case. He took a moment to think on his words before sitting on the grass directly across from Amethyst. She avoided his eyes seemingly on purpose, though it was difficult to tell why. Something was _definitely_ off.

"Why're you tired?" the young Gem asked, trying to keep a polite tone instead of a worried one. The persistent grimace on his friend's face told him he wasn't the best actor. Amethyst hesitated to acknowledge him, as if thinking on how she should've answered. After shaking her head, she moved her eyes to him.

"I dunno," she repeated, sounding disappointed. She shrugged apathetically, matching Steven's confusion about her fatigue. "Ain't felt like this… well, ever, really. Kinda sucks."

"Hm," Steven pondered, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. Amethyst shook her head again, falling back in the grass with a _*thump*_. Not much that occurred to Steven could explain the sudden exhaustion of his friend. Just prior to fusing, she seemed more than gung-ho and full of a rambunctious energy to challenge the corruption they'd fought earlier. With the current mission being rather standard at this point, Steven had a hard time thinking as to why (or even how) Amethyst could be as fatigued as she was. They hadn't done anything excessively draining aside from fighting the corruption, and Smoky had taken the brunt of that effort. Steven himself didn't feel tired in the slightest. Compared to Amethyst, he was brimming with energy.

Suddenly, Steven gasped. Amethyst appeared startled by the noise, recoiling slightly.

"What about when we unfused?" her companion asked, leaning towards her. "Can that make Gems tired?"

Amethyst's look lingered on Steven for some time. She didn't entirely seem to understand what he was getting at, causing him to explain further.

"I feel fine," he stated, making a note of how little energy he lost. "Like I just took a good nap. But Smoky was busy fighting the Gem, so shouldn't I be tired too? Weren't you and Garnet sore after Suglite unfused that one time?"

Amethyst snorted sarcastically, muttering about how he didn't have to gloat about his energy. A contemplative expression fell on her features as she answered his question.

"Mmmaybe?" she uncertainly dragged out, shaking her head. It was obvious that she knew as much about her sudden exhaustion as he did. "I mean, it ain't like we did that much, did we? Definitely didn't run around the planet a couple of times, at least."

While the fight against the corruption had been somewhat strenuous for Smoky, Steven had to agree that it wasn't entirely exhausting. The most exercise they'd done was keeping their lower Gem from getting chomped up, and even that hadn't been too bad. At least, that was what Steven had thought. Amethyst seemed to have a different perspective on the situation, her posture slouching more than usual. The Gem rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the tired feeling and ultimately doing little to rejuvenate herself. She let herself fall back onto the tall grass they sat on with another muffled _*thump*_.

"Don't suppose that spit of your's works for headaches?" she quietly asked, closing her eyes with a sigh. Steven tilted his head, the question seemingly out of nowhere. Then again, Amethyst's expression didn't convey the most comfortable state of mind. The young Gem pondered for a moment.

"I actually haven't tried that," he admitted. It'd been difficult to pin the exact rules for how his abilities worked. Before he could move to lick his palm, Amethyst waved a hand in the air, chuckling lightly.

"Kidding," she waved off, a minor grin pulling her lips upwards. Her smile left in a matter of seconds. "Got a killer migraine, though."

The Gem's arms lazily fell outwards to her sides, resembling a puppet whose strings were just cut. Disconcerted, both by Amethyst's exhaustion and her evident lack of comfort, Steven felt his eyebrows pull together in another frown. He shifted himself closer to Amethyst's side, ignoring the few bugs skittering through the grass underneath. A small breeze swayed some of the grass around them. Some seconds of silence passed, both Gems taking the brief quiet.

Then, an acute whistling was heard above, attracting their attention. They looked upwards, each raising an arm to block the sun's rays from their eyes, and saw a lone speck of a bird against the blue sky above. The whistling noise came down again, notably higher pitched. It was the specific note Steven heard that drew a gasp of realization out of him.

"Pearl!" he exclaimed upwards. He could see Amethyst cover her ears with a displeased expression, making it difficult for her to hear his brief apology. Trying for a quieter (but still yelling) tone, he cupped one hand around his mouth, the other waving at Pearl. "Down here!"

The Gem continued gliding on her wings for a moment. A moment of waiting passed, and she turned sharply towards Steven and Amethyst. The former turned towards Amethyst with a smile, expressing his relief at her return. Amethyst rolled her eyes with a grunt, though her gaze did linger on the far approaching bird that was their companion.

"...something's off…" the violet Gem drew out, her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Confused, Steven rose an eyebrow of his own, looking back up at Pearl's currently small form. She'd gotten close enough to discern the prominent Gem on her forehead without much difficulty, so Steven had trouble figuring out what Amethyst had to be suspicious about. Maybe she was just talking about her exhaustion.

Suddenly, Amethyst's eyes grew wide, and she threw a pointed finger towards Pearl.

"Watch your back!" she called out to her, cupping her other hand around her mouth. Startled by her abrupt outburst, Steven recoiled before looking in the direction of Amethyst's finger. Pearl had done the same, slowing her descent and looking behind her. The floating island above them didn't seem to warrant any warning, and for a moment, Pearl seemed as confused as Steven was. Then, after another few seconds of inspection, he could see the couple of colored dots behind Pearl. They seemed to be part of the island at first, but seeing them approach allowed Steven to realize the same thing Amethyst had. He cupped his hands around his mouth, calling for Pearl to be careful.

Thankfully, the Gem could notice the comparatively smaller corruptions following her before Steven had. She quickly turned to her right, now gliding away from Steven and Amethyst with a newfound speed. While the corruptions' varying sizes couldn't have been more than a small dog each, the sheer amount of them was definitely cause for caution. The dots of color changed their course in response to Pearl's sudden turn. Steven's grounded perspective made it difficult to tell, but Pearl thankfully seemed to fly just a little faster than the corruptions could catch up. Not to mention that she seemed to be better at flying than they were.

"Probably trying to lead 'em away," Amethyst muttered. Steven looked to her, seeing an annoyed expression adorn her features. If she was at all worried about how well Pearl could handle the corruptions, she didn't show it. Having confidence in his companions let Steven act similarly, though he couldn't ignore the flock of Gem monsters as easily as Amethyst. He kept his gaze on Pearl's shrinking form, wondering how long (or even how in general) it'd take for her to deal with them. Pearl didn't seem to have a plan for them at the moment, continuing her flight away from Steven and Amethyst for a considerable length of time. It would probably be a little while until she could return to them, Steven guessed.

"I thought the babies poofed after the mom did," he said with a hum, looking back to Amethyst. She clutched her head, obviously still suffering from her inexplicable headache.

"They do," she told him, sounding almost irked. Silence met her answer. Then, realizing the implications of her answer, she looked towards Steven. They stared at each other for a few more seconds.

"She _did_ poof," he told Amethyst again. Even if he was as far up as he was at the time, discerning the cloud of sparkles that the corruption turned into was easy enough, if only due to its size. The thought that she might've already regenerated concerned Steven, but that simply wasn't possible in any less than a full day's time. Feral Gems had their limits too. Ignoring the possibility of their original target still having a body, he hummed.

"Think there's another mom?" Steven abruptly questioned, now looking back to the island above them. From here, it seemed far too innocent and peaceful to house any feral Gem, much less two of them. Amethyst grunted dismissal, laying back down on the grass.

"Don't know, don't really care," she answered simply. Frowning, Steven tilted his head towards Amethyst, sensing her discomfort. With Pearl likely able to out-fly the corruptions for hours if she needed to (though Steven hoped that wasn't the case), he concerned himself only with what he could practically help with. His eyes lingered on Amethyst's troubled expression, seeing her close her eyes as if to will her headache away.

After a small hesitation, a damp sensation on Amethyst's forehead brought her eyes open. She looked up at Steven's face, likely eyeing his hopeful expression. His hand lay on her forehead, pressing into it almost like a soft pillow. The contact wasn't too forceful, he hoped. Still, Amethyst matched his stare before figuring out what exactly he was attempting to accomplish.

"Any better?" Steven asked, gently pulling his hand away. An instinctive grin broke apart the rest of Amethyst's confusion.

"...yeah," she told him with a shake of her head. Though the bags under her eyes contradicted her answer, Steven accepted it regardless, now having a smirk to match Amethyst's. "Feel like a brand-new Gem."

Steven gave a pleasant thumb upwards in response, humming.

"Glad to help," he said with a contented nod. Amethyst chuckled again before looking upwards into the clear sky above. As if reading her mind, Steven stated what she was likely pondering.

"Don't know if I can jump that high," he admitted, following her gaze towards the floating island above them. The underside was difficult to discern from such a distance away, but the mass of dirt, rock, and exposed tree roots was impressive anyways. Reaching it would've been equally impressive, but Steven also had to reason it wasn't the most realistic notion. He was hesitant to ask if Amethyst was up for shape-shifting into a bird to get them back, but the answer was fairly obvious already, even if Amethyst hadn't directly mentioned how little she wanted to try to shape-shift. It might've been possible, though neither Gem wanted to put her through that strain with her being so inexplicably exhausted. Not to mention it'd probably be rude to leave without Pearl.

"Know where the closest warp-pad is?" Steven asked her instead. Amethyst thought for a moment, trying to rub some of the fatigue out of her eyes. Then, she pointed a single finger upwards.

"...second closest," he clarified. After an exaggerated "Oooh," Amethyst shrugged. She took a moment to rub her eyes again before suddenly frowning.

"Thought Pearl taught you all sorts of warp-pad stuff," she ventured, absentmindedly yawning through her statement. Steven shook his head, admitting that he didn't remember any lessons about the geography of warp-pads. He would've followed up with his own question on why Amethyst was as knowledgeable about them as he was, but had to reason she wasn't the most preparatory of the Gems. It wouldn't surprise him if the little information on warp-pads he had surpassed hers.

Amethyst suddenly blew a raspberry, looking irked. "P's probably a little busy, too," she muttered, as if remembering some old argument. Steven reasoned that there had to be some way to get back. The only alternative that came to mind was to jump as high as possible and _look_ for another warp-pad, and for all he knew, it could've been dozens of miles away. Not to mention in any direction. Before he decided to look anyways, Amethyst spoke.

"Don't we still gotta get that Gem first?"

Reminded of their earlier opponent once again, Steven snapped his fingers with a matching look of surprise. It was far cry from his so-called "soldier" instincts from the first time around, but Amethyst looked regretful anyways. She didn't make any attempt to shrug off its importance, though.

"Yeah," Steven agreed, moving the Gem to the top of his list of priorities. Seeing Amethyst clutch her head with a strained expression moved the corruption's Gem to the second from the top. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, it seemed like his attempt at healing her migraine had done little to help her.

"Are you going to be okay, Amethyst?" he questioned, seemingly on instinct alone. Amethyst didn't answer him right away, still holding her head tightly. She casually waved towards him after a few more moments.

"I'll be fine," she muttered, placing a hand on the ground to stand back up. "Been through worse, anyways. Just a little... tired."

Her statement would've been less worrying if she hadn't stumbled a little upon standing up. The pale complexion of her face seemed to worsen in a matter of seconds. Still, the Gem attempted to shrug it off, shaking her head. Then she promptly stumbled a little more. After frowning himself, Steven rose from the yellowed grass he sat on.

"Just stay here," he said automatically, placing a hand on Amethysts shoulder. He gave his companion a reassuring smile, nodding determinedly. "I can go and get her Gem."

Surprised, she looked at the hand briefly before giving Steven a questioning expression. As he expected, Amethyst shook her head stubbornly. What wasn't expected was the lack of any real attempt to shrug off his grip.

"Nah, nah," she denied, raising an open palm of defiance. She didn't look as confident as she probably wanted. "C'mon, we fought that thing together, we gotta bubble it together. I'm just tired, is all."

While "tired" was a good way to describe Amethyst's current demeanor, Steven didn't feel like he got the whole picture. It looked like she recently tested the limits of what could be defined as "edible", and promptly broke those limits. Steven shook his head, trying to maintain both his persistence and manners.

"I got it," he assured Amethyst, giving her a thumb upwards. After another brief hesitation, she sighed, rolling her eyes. Her lack of stubborn attitude, while still disconcerting, was a little convenient.

"Fine," she finally relented, waving a hand in the air. Rubbing her eyes, the Gem fell back down into the grass with another lazy _*thump*_. She didn't say much else, other than how she still wanted to see their trophy before he bubbled the Gem away. Steven agreed to the compromise, promising to show it to her as quickly as he could find it. A small smile brought the corners of her lips up a little.

His gaze lingered on Amethyst for a few moments. Then, he turned towards the grass, stating that he'd be right back.

* * *

 **A/N:** _AND SO IT BEGINS_


	3. Provenance, III

**A/N:** So far I've written about half the word count of _Vicissitude_ (another fluffier fic of mine with Steven and Amethyst as your star leading roles) in about a quarter of the time, and probably will have close to 80% of its worth by the end of the year. Only one way to know for sure. Anywho, back to your regularly scheduled fanfiction!

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _III: Provenance, Part III_

"Hm," Steven hummed to himself, half-consciously moving the grass in front of him. He walked through the yellowed-green in silence, having a vague idea of where he was going. Recalling where the corruption had hit the ground in relation to where Amethyst and he had landed was surprisingly difficult, though not for the reasons he would've assumed. He could jump up and look for the cushioned crater if he really needed to; it was what else he had to contemplate that made his search difficult.

While she attempted to shrug it off, Amethyst had seemed far more exhausted than Steven had ever seen her, and that was saying something. More than tired, the Gem looked like she'd forgone sleep for hundreds of years. Steven was convinced that it had something to do with Smoky's un-fusion, though exactly how was still a mystery. Fusion wasn't something he'd consider himself an expert on, but he couldn't find much reason for there to be such a difference in Amethyst's and his fatigue. Stevonnie's condition rarely had much of an effect on either Connie or Steven after they un-fused. He had to wonder why Smoky's case seemed so different.

Suddenly, a branch underfoot tripped Steven out of his thoughts. He didn't break anything this time around, though it did break him away from Amethyst's odd condition. The Gem looked around, noticing he had accidentally found the corruption's landing spot without thinking. The grass around him had been flattened in a large clearing, big enough to set up a sizable campfire in. Splinters of broken wood and tree branches dotted the area. Despite the relative flatness of the grass, however, he couldn't see the corruption's Gem quite yet. He got up, dusting off his pants and taking a closer look around.

"Where'd you go..." Steven muttered to himself, striding towards a sizable chunk of the tree from before. It was certainly big enough to take out the corruption, but not by much. The young Gem moved to the side of the tree, placing a hand on its rough surface. Sure enough, he found a bright azure stone hiding in the wood's shade. A satisfied smile brought itself to his lips.

Crouching down, Steven picked up the Gem, inspecting it. Rather than bubble it instantly, he eyed the jewel. He didn't think that the size of a Gem had a whole lot to do with its body, but there was definitely a connection between the corruption's Gem and its huge form. The stone had a definite weight in his hand; its shape, however, was far from definite. The Gem looked like it'd been ripped straight from the ground, dirt and all. Spikes of the stone poked out in random directions, each a slightly different hue of blue. Before Steven could question it, the blue abruptly changed color in his hands.

The Gem began growing brighter, changing into a brighter cyan. Steven felt the surface of the Gem give off a recognizable heat in a matter of moments. Panicking, he formed a bubble around the Gem. It had little of an immediate effect. Then, the Gem's brightness died down. He gave it a couple seconds. Seeing the Gem recede back into its dormant state, he released his breath.

"This can't be good," he said to himself, standing back up from the ground. More seemed to be wrong with the corruption than just its body. While the brief glow was cause for panic, the broken tree reminded him enough of Amethyst to worry about one thing at a time. He would have to talk to Garnet and Pearl about the Gem's odd nature later. Amethyst had said that she wanted to at least see the Gem before he teleported it away, so he kept the bubble in his hands. Moving back around the tree, he spotted where he first entered the clearing in the grass, and began his walk back to his friend. At least she'd get a kick out of how weird the Gem looked.

The walk back through the grass seemed quieter than the first time around. Steven hoped that Amethyst's condition had somehow gotten better over the span of five or so minutes. He wouldn't be that surprised if she'd fallen back into sleeping by now. After another minute, he returned to the small clearing of grass he'd landed Amethyst and himself in. Then he stopped short at the sight of his friend.

She lay face down in the grass, her arms splayed out lazily. While that was par for the course as far as Amethyst's sleeping positions were concerned, her hair was what had stopped Steven's breath short. It wasn't her usual white; instead of the shining silver she usually had, the locks had become a much darker gray. What he thought was his eyes exaggerating was a very real change in hue.

"Amethyst?" he asked urgently, jogging the last few feet to her side. He placed the bubble on the ground beside him as he crouched down to her. She groaned in response. Her hand lifted about one inch off the ground in a form of greetings before falling back to the grass, completely drained of energy. The violet Gem didn't say anything about her hair, or anything at all. Worried, Steven placed a careful hand on her shoulder. Still no real response.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, not entirely expecting an answer. He didn't receive much more than an apathetic shrug. Carefully, he placed his other hand on her, slowly trying to turn her onto her side. She seemed limp. Her face was contorted in a strained grimace, sweat beading on her forehead. Her newly darkened hair clung to her face messily.

"Ain't really... 100%," she gradually told Steven in between breaths. Hoping for more of an explanation, Steven waited, his eyebrows glued together in concern. All Amethyst offered was a lethargic wave in the air with her hand. She seemed to know as much about her condition as he did. For a brief moment, he considered licking his palm, though he didn't have much of an idea on where to place it. A headache didn't seem to be the only thing ailing his companion.

Placing his hands more securely on her shoulders, Steven tried sitting Amethyst up into a more comfortable position. Every one of her movements was sluggish to the point of apathy. As much as he wanted to help her, he didn't have the slightest clue as to how. All that came to mind was getting her to a proper bed, and that was rarely something she thought of as necessary.

A distant whistling turned Steven's attention to the side. He looked to the far-off dot in the sky, recognizing it much faster than the first time around. From the corner of his vision, he could see Amethyst squint open one eye to follow his gaze. They continued watching the bird as it grew closer, and Steven gave a silent thanks that she was alone this time around. The Gem quickly closed the distance between them, turning to her usual form as she hit the ground.

"I don't know what you did-" Pearl began with a grateful look before seeing Amethyst. The thin Gem's expression melted into a concerned grimace, her eyes widening. Amethyst gave her a slow wave. Pearl moved closer to her, not once eyeing the bubble Steven had put on the ground.

"What's wrong?" she instinctively asked, crouching to where Amethyst sat. While Steven was glad she could tell something was off so quickly, he didn't like the fact that something was wrong in the first place. As if to agree, Amethyst grunted in response to Pearl's question, frowning with a shrug. Inspecting the darker color of her hair, Pearl asked Steven what exactly she'd missed. "Did something happen to Amethyst?"

"We don't really know," he answered, keeping a hand on Amethyst's back to prevent her from falling into the grass. She seemed somewhat appreciative. "She said that she was really tired. After we- er, _Smoky_ un-fused, I mean. I had to wake her up earlier."

Pearl grew a little more anxious, unable to make any constructive response beyond saying, "I see," with a hum. Evidently, she didn't know that much about Amethyst's exhausted condition either. Steven had hoped that it was another Gem occurrence he hadn't been educated on quite yet, though Amethyst seemed as clueless as he was. Then again, she rarely seemed to know more than Steven when it came to semi-serious Gem business. Not that he held that against her. Steven explained what he could to Pearl.

"Maybe it was because of Smoky's fight with the corrupted Gem," he told the Gem. She placed a hand on her chin, tilting her head slightly. "I'm not tired at all, but shouldn't I be? We worked together to fight her."

Oddly enough, a hint of a smile appeared on Amethyst's lips. She hummed affirmation, nodding like their cooperation was a pleasant memory. Steven would've appreciated the positivity if it wasn't so diametrically opposed to her obvious discomfort. Pearl hummed in a more contemplative tone.

"That... maybe," she muttered, unsure. Her hand moved to her ribbon on some nervous instinct. "But why would her hair be darker? I'm assuming that's not on purpose."

That was something Steven knew a little less about, which was saying something. He looked to Amethyst for some kind of explanation. Their eyes met, as if she was looking at him for some kind of explanation. Wordlessly, she raised a hand to her hair, sweeping a lock in front of her face to inspect it closer. Her eyebrows rose a fraction when she noticed the comparatively darker strands instead of her usual white.

"...that's a new one," she let out in a tired tone. Steven admitted that the explanation for that was a little harder to find, and added that it wasn't something that tended to happen when Amethyst got tired. She confirmed as much. Pearl kept her eyes on Amethyst for a couple more seconds before standing back up.

"We should head back to the Temple," she stated with a nod, as if to change subjects. That sounded like a good idea to Steven; the sooner they returned home, the sooner they could ask Garnet about Amethyst's current state. Hopefully she would be able to explain more about fusion. Amethyst, though, didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to return home. Steven got the idea that she didn't seem to be in the mood for doing much of anything, judging by the excessive slouch of her posture. It was her fallen expression that got him to talk.

"Can you stand alright?" he asked uncertainly. His worried intentions seemed to come across as more unnecessary than rude. Instead of taking his question as an insult, Amethyst tried shrugging off his worry.

"'Course," she said simply, attempting to put a force of energy in her voice and sitting up somewhat. She promptly made no attempt to stand up, making Pearl raise an eyebrow. After a brief hesitation, Amethyst's shoulders sagged back down tiredly. "...probably."

Steven's eyebrows furrowed together. He glanced at Pearl, who had a similar look on her features. Seeing their hesitation, Amethyst shook her head.

"Just-" she tried again, placing a hand on her knee, "...gimme a sec-"

"Here," Steven told her patiently, placing his hands more securely on her sides. At first, Amethyst resisted the help, reiterating that she could definitely stand on her own (after all, a little tiredness never killed anyone). Her denial only lasted a few more seconds before she reluctantly took Steven's aid, letting him bring her up to a standing position.

"-Ow!" she suddenly faltered. Her leg gave out from underneath her, making her weight go slack. Thankfully, Steven had a tight enough grip on her that she didn't fall to the ground completely, only letting the Gem stumble backwards into him. The weight of her on him was enough to cause him to stumble, but he stood for the both of them as best as he could.

"What is it?" both he and Pearl asked simultaneously, matching expressions of concern. Amethyst shook her head after a few rushed breaths, sweat returning to her forehead. With a grimace, she tentatively moved her leg, taking a sharp breath as it rotated.

"It's, uh..." she muttered, looking almost embarrassed. If it wasn't for her obvious discomfort, Steven would've found her apprehension a more pressing concern than her initial pain. "...it's my foot. Hurts like a-"

Amethyst suddenly cleared her throat, glancing at Steven.

"It hurts a lot," she finished.

Some confusion wedged itself in the concern on Pearl's features. Steven's expression, however, only grew more worried. If he had a mirror, he might've found the word "dire" to be a good way to describe his face. Despite the warm air of the day, he felt a chill go down his back. Slowly, he looked to which side had been the source of Amethyst's sudden pain, following her eyes.

"Your left foot," he said to himself, staring at the boot. Amethyst nodded affirmation, though still tried to shrug off how dire it was.

"Just surprised me," she tried recovering. Neither Pearl nor Steven were the slightest bit convinced, but the latter was too busy staring to pay much mind to what he was hearing. "I-I can still walk, just gonna have to be a little careful, is all. You can let-"

"I hurt _my_ left foot," Steven interrupted. Amethyst stopped abruptly, surprise flooding her features. Pearl, still worried, tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, obviously not getting the whole picture. For a few silent moments, all Steven did was flex his leg. Sure enough, it felt as fine as usual. Not a single hint of pain or discomfort could be found. Amethyst appeared to notice even if he hadn't flinched in the slightest.

"When we were running after the smaller Gem at first," Steven explained, his eyes still wide, "I fell and twisted my ankle. _Before_ Amethyst and I fused. I tried healing it, but now..."

At first, Pearl didn't seem to see the connection. Then realization dawned on her like a flood of water. She wordlessly rose a hand to her surprised gape, now staring at the source of her companion's pain. A similarly startled expression fell onto Amethyst's face, and she met Steven's worried eyes. He instinctively tightened his grasp around her just a tad, grimacing.

"How is that..." Pearl began before realizing the futility of her statement. The Gem shook her head in befuddlement. With a newly dire conviction, she crossed her arms. "We should really get back to the Temple now."

Steven agreed wholeheartedly, nodding. Revitalized by the odd occurrence of her injured foot, Amethyst nodded as well, though didn't say much beyond that. If Steven didn't know any better, he might've described her demeanor as... afraid, almost. In all honesty, he was a little scared himself. Not that admitting as much would be beneficial. In an effort to ease her (and himself, somewhat), Steven bent down a little lower, motioning for Amethyst to move an arm to his shoulder to keep upright. Both Gems moved carefully as he licked his palm and moved it towards her injured ankle, being even more careful with raising her pants leg to touch the wound directly.

"...there," he said with a calm sigh. Hopefully that would heal it further than the first time had. Since the damage was more internal, Steven wasn't entirely aware if his spit was as effective as usual, though Amethyst's willingness to test her leg again gave him confidence. She still drew in a sharper breath when bending the limb a little too far, but it was definitely an improvement. She remarked as much, telling him, "Yeah, little better," with an appreciative nod. He considered simply licking his hand again to heal her further, though reasoned it likely didn't work on the same wound in so short of a time.

"Hopefully that will suffice for now," Pearl spoke to either Gem. She seemed somewhat grateful for Steven's healing ability as well. Returning back to his initially supportive position, Steven motioned for Amethyst to try and take a few steps. She did so after a brief hesitation; or, she attempted to do so. It looked like she stepped into a pit of scorpions for all her expression said.

"I'll be fine," she preemptively assured Steven. He could feel her put less of her weight on him as she eased into her next step. Before she could even get the opportunity to protest, Steven tapped her shoulder, telling her to turn towards him. Wordlessly, he turned around and bent down a little further, hooking his arms outwards while giving her a "this way" motion with his head. She looked him up and down for a few moments.

"Nah, nah, c'mon," Amethyst denied, shaking her head. The bags under her eyes didn't make her tone all that persuasive. "Quit yer' worrying. I'll be fine."

As Steven unfortunately expected, Amethyst was more than hesitant to take his offer. That didn't stop him from keeping his offer standing. Pearl rose an eyebrow at Amethyst, mentioning that now probably wasn't the best time to be stubborn. The Gem took another pained step forwards, then looked skeptically back at Steven. She groaned.

About a dozen seconds later, Steven stood up confidently, being careful not to jerk or pull on Amethyst's leg too hard. According to her braced arms hooked in front of his neck, being careful was the right course of action. A subtle grin broke out on Pearl's features, though it was more earnest than teasing. Amethyst didn't look at her long enough to tell either way. She was silent as Steven secured his grasp on her legs.

"Can't forget about her," Steven recalled, turning towards the Gem he'd bubbled from before. The other Gems followed his eyes to their target, and noticeably rose their eyebrows when they saw the size of it. If Amethyst hadn't been forcing an obstinate expression, she probably would've whistled an impressed tune.

"Wow," Pearl said for the both of them, bending down to inspect the haphazard Gem further. With Steven's arms currently occupied, she picked up the bubble tentatively for him. Steven moved towards the Gem, knowing how much Amethyst had wanted to get a closer look.

"We took out somethin' that big?" she asked aloud, incredulous. The Gem served as a welcome distraction from how falsely degrading she thought her current position on Steven's back was. The young Gem nodded in pride. Pearl hummed, also impressed.

"We make a good team," Steven affirmed. He could feel Amethyst shrug agreement, saying a nonchalant, "Guess so." After a couple more moments of inspection, Pearl placed her hand on top of the bubble, teleporting it away.

"These corruptions are getting stranger and stranger," she muttered to herself. Dusting off her hands, she turned to the side, mimicking the earlier "this way" motion Steven had given Amethyst. "There's a warp-pad I passed earlier in this direction."

Steven nodded, following after her into the comparatively taller grass. Amethyst gave a faux snort, though it didn't carry her usual teasing attitude.

"S'matter," she gradually said to Pearl, "we too heavy to carry up there?"

Pearl looked skywards for a moment, and Steven followed her gaze to the floating island above them. Its size wasn't nearly as impressive from as far away as there were.

"I'd rather not risk it," Pearl explained curtly, crossing her arms and resuming her walk through the grass. The usual interaction between both Gems was enough to get Steven to grin. Unfortunately, the laugh Amethyst had returned with sounded almost forced. She remained upright on Steven's back, making some kind of effort to avoid leaning on Steven entirely. Yet another cause for worry.

As much as she likely wanted too, Amethyst refused to relax for a surprising length of time; that was to say, any length of time. Steven had gone so far as to pace his steps evenly on the soft grass to avoid jerking her leg too hard. Whatever the reason for her being so burned out was, Steven mentioned that she could afford to return to resting as soon as she liked. Pearl even encouraged her to avoid using what little energy she had left. It wasn't every day she had a valid excuse for not doing anything, so Steven was even more surprised by the subtle shake of her chin he'd felt on his head.

"Don't wanna leave you alone with boring ol' Pearl, there," Amethyst gave as a reason. On a normal day, Steven would've accepted her explanation, but he got the feeling there was more to it than that. Pearl rolled her eyes. Rather than some retort, she reiterated the fact that Amethyst should take the moments of respite while she could.

"It'll likely be a long walk," she told the short Gem, somewhat slowing her pace through the grass. Steven could detect a hint of concern in her voice as opposed to her usually technical tone. "There's not much to watch out for now."

Amethyst grunted, shaking her head again. Though she probably couldn't see it from where she was, Steven attempted to give her a concerned frown. Something about her demeanor seemed as affected as her energy. Affected by what, he had no idea. He considered mentioning that the warm day was perfect for doing nothing, especially after fighting a monstrous Gem corruption, though Amethyst could probably tell as much on her own. That didn't stop Pearl from mentioning the calm weather herself. After another few yards of silent steps through the grass, Amethyst sighed, either out of exhaustion or frustration.

"Whatever," she muttered, shaking her head. Hesitantly, she lowered more comfortably onto Steven's back. He accepted the change in weight without a word. His arms shifted forward a bit more, allowing her to rest her head on his. Some of her darkened bangs trailed in front of his face, though he blew them away with little difficulty. She yawned tiredly. "Don't let me fall asleep, though, alright? No reason for that."

Both Steven and Pearl stopped walking for a moment. They looked at each other, having a silent conversation.

"Sure thing," Steven told Amethyst, looking towards her tired features. Sure enough, her eyes were already closed.

"I... mean it," she managed to draw out through another yawn. Steven reaffirmed her request with a hum, resuming his walk a little slower than before. Pearl, now with a slight smile, did the same. Amethyst didn't seem to notice their comparatively slower steps. Pearl faced towards her for some time, moving the grass on their path out of instinct.

"...Amethyst?" Steven ventured after some time. His voice was purposefully quieter than usual. He gave the Gem on his back about a half dozen seconds to respond before being given a light snore. She was out like a light in barely over a minute. A relieved sigh fell out of Steven's mouth, mimicking Pearl's own. Hopefully some proper rest would do Amethyst some good. To play it safe, Pearl kept her voice to a whisper.

"What happened before Smoky un-fused?" she asked quietly. Steven moved his eyes to hers, surprised by how quick she'd gotten to the point. He would've shrugged in confusion, though reasoned that wasn't a good idea with Amethyst's current position.

"I... don't know, really," he answered honestly. Frowning, Steven tried recalling exactly what had been going through Smoky's mind prior to dissipating into Amethyst and him. The most he could remember was a potent feeling of fear. Remembering exactly why Smoky was so scared was a bit harder. He expressed as much as he could, following after Pearl's whisper. "Smoky was afraid. It wasn't like they were afraid of the corruption, though. It was more like... being afraid for someone else."

Pearl hummed, stopping for a moment. She tapped a contemplative finger on the grass she was moving aside.

"Concerned?" she tried describing for Steven. His eyebrows rose in recognition.

"Yeah," he confirmed with a nod. That was a good way to put it. Smoky was definitely concerned, but if that was the case...

Steven hummed to himself, frowning. "But you were safe," he reasoned to Pearl. "The corruption was after Smoky at the time, not you. Why would they worry so much about you?"

Pearl was quiet for a couple seconds. She resumed walking forwards, glancing at a barer patch of grass off to the side of their path.

"Maybe Smoky wasn't the one so concerned," she eventually met Steven's question. Her tone was quiet even by a whisper's standards. Steven recoiled slightly, not considering something like that. He continued walking after Pearl with a frown. While Steven loved and cared greatly for his companions, he couldn't remember anything about being too worried for them. It wasn't for a lack of caring, obviously; just that fusing with Amethyst always gave him enough confidence to avoid fearing what would happen to anyone close to him. Understanding that left one candidate for concern left.

"You think Amethyst was worried?" he let out quietly. The Gem looked up at his companion, a curious frown adorning his features. Her expression seemed much more peaceful when it wasn't so strained by being awake. Pearl nodded slowly, adding a quiet hum.

"Smoky seemed very concerned about their lower Gem," she recounted. She didn't stop walking this time, though she did slow a little as she looked back up at the floating island. They'd moved out from being directly underneath it some time ago. "Not to mention how quiet they were. I'd hate to have to describe either you or Amethyst as 'quiet'."

A minor laugh escaped Steven's lips. "Yep, that probably means something's wrong," he admitted. Still, he couldn't help but look back at Amethyst, making sure to keep his arms secure. It wasn't often he could describe Amethyst as worried; the few times he could were usually severe enough to denote some catharsis. The last one they'd shared was after fighting Jasper, and Steven still looked back on their mutual understanding with a contented pride.

"She seemed worried before that, too," Steven suddenly recalled. Amethyst shifted a little in his arms, making him stop cold in his tracks, but otherwise stayed asleep. He picked his feet back up after another few safe seconds. "When I hurt my foot, she looked really concerned. She said she didn't like seeing people she knew get hurt."

That was true enough of anyone, but Pearl seemed to get what Steven was attempting to convey. Placing the why of Amethyst's sudden worry looked like a harder task for her. Steven felt similar, wondering why someone as laid back as his friend was suddenly so bothered. No recent event that could change her casual nature came to mind. Her recent reluctance to relax didn't sit well with Steven, either. Pearl, feeling similar, spoke up carefully.

"She seems hesitant to rely on you," she noted. Her tone was as confident as it was regretful, like she was recalling a worse time. Steven, though internally agreeing, tried to justify the Gem's odd behavior.

"Maybe it's just 'cause she's tired," he answered. From his experience, people became wildly different (usually grumpier, if Steven was recalling honestly) when they became so exhausted. Unfortunately, he could hear the weakness in his argument as well as Pearl could. Both Gems shook their head, knowing something else was off.

"I thought she'd gained her confidence in you before," Pearl stated in that same tentatively factual tone. Steven hummed confirmation. They had gone over the debacle of relying on each other a fair amount of time ago, and as far as Steven was concerned, their mutual understanding hadn't wavered in the slightest since then. Maybe Amethyst's condition put a false perspective on that memory. Obviously, Steven hoped otherwise, though had to reason it was in the realm of possibilities. Looking at the darkened gray of her hair confirmed anything was realistic at this point.

"I hope she feels better when she wakes up," Steven breathed out in a comparatively quieter tone. Since they had already been whispering, Pearl had difficulty hearing him above the ambient waving of the grass surrounding them, but nodded agreement. They shared a quiet moment of contemplation, returning to silence. Steven glanced at the sky above them. Hoping to brighten the mood (or, at the very least, change it), he shifted topics.

"How'd you deal with those Gems?" he asked Pearl, curious. A few seconds passed, then she seemingly heard him. Her hum hadn't gained much more enthusiasm than from before.

"I… didn't," she let out. Her voice was surprisingly dire. "I was still flying when they suddenly dissipated. I assumed you and Amethyst had something to do with that."

Now Steven hummed in that low tone. "I don't think so," he returned. Not much came to mind on why the smaller corruptions took longer to poof. "We poofed the mom a while ago, before they started chasing you."

Pearl put a contemplative hand on her chin. Before she could come up with any theory, Steven recalled when he first found the Gem.

"It was acting weird," he abruptly spoke out. Pearl rose an eyebrow, silently asking what he'd meant. He explained to the best of his knowledge. "When I first found the mom's Gem, it started glowing. Almost like… it was about to regenerate. But that couldn't be it, right?"

Pearl nodded, though she still looked troubled. "No Gem could regenerate that fast," she affirmed, "but the Gem also looked… strange. Much larger than most of the corrupted Gems we've dealt with."

Given the haphazard shape of the Gem, Steven agreed. It wasn't often that fusing seemed necessary when dealing with a corrupted Gem, but their most recent opponent definitely didn't leave much room for risk. Not that he would've turned down Amethyst's offer under most circumstances. Adjusting his grip on her, he glanced up at the Gem on his back, wondering if that had been the reason for her worry. A sudden crunching sound underfoot prevented him from relaying his thoughts to Pearl.

The young Gem paused, careful not to put any more weight onto whatever he stepped on. A hard "crunch" wasn't the most usual noise Steven attributed to walking in a grassy field. Cautiously, he moved his foot to the side, bending downwards a little to inspect what he'd trodden on. Pearl followed his gaze after noticing he'd stopped walking. With a newfound severity, she reached towards the small glint of light. Her grip was as tentative as her expression.

She lifted the stone carefully, eyeing it alongside Steven. His eyes grew wide the moment he recognized the scarlet light reflecting off of it. Thank goodness, the Gem was barely damaged, only having a subtle hint of a web-work crack. Pearl turned the red jewel over in her fingers. It was so small, it barely qualified as a shard.

"What is…?" Pearl trailed off, frowning out of confusion. Steven continued looking at the Gem in silence, letting its presence register. Then, he slowly looked around, taking a much closer inspection of the ground. It was much easier to notice the colorful stones dotting the area now that he knew to look for them. Pearl turned as he had, seeing the rainbow-like collection of Gems scattered around them. None of them could've been much larger than Steven's hand. A few more moments of contemplation let him make sense of his surroundings.

"These must be the smaller Gems," he thought out loud to himself. "The ones that were chasing you." Pearl, after looking back at the floating island they'd first traveled to, matched his recognition.

"This was about where they lost their form," she added, bending down to pick up a few other shards. The Gem's expression hadn't lost much of her confusion, though. "But… they shouldn't have Gems. That's not how offspring work…"

Pearl trailed off again, at a loss. Steven would've bent down to get a closer look at the Gems himself, though didn't want to risk waking Amethyst. With how worried she suddenly became, Steven didn't think confusing her further was the best idea. Instead, he hummed dutifully.

"We can't leave them here," he stated as a matter of fact. Pearl, however more worried than Steven, nodded. She picked up some of the other Gem shards more purposefully. They were small enough that she could afford to put multiple into one bubble. Steven would've helped her, though he was currently preoccupied with an arguably more pressing matter.

"How many were there?" he asked, hoping for a fittingly small answer. The less that could potentially be hiding in the tall grass, the better. Unfortunately, a frustrated sigh from Pearl didn't give Steven much hope.

"At least 11," she answered. For once, Pearl didn't seem that confident. Her expression fell as she bubbled the five or so Gems already in her palm. "But… probably more. I didn't get a good look."

Steven frowned. He could see about four more Gems from where he was, and given that they were flying at the time, it was likely that the rest of them had fallen a fair distance away from each other. Who knew in what direction. Pearl seemed to understand the inconvenience as well, shaking her head.

"This… might take a while," she admitted, sounding embarrassed. Steven nodded patiently, then looked back up to Amethyst. Pearl suddenly halted her collecting to follow his gaze. A regretful expression fell over her features.

"...you should get her to the Temple," Pearl gradually told him. Some professionalism worked its way into her voice. Steven frowned, though had to agree with her priorities.

"I'll take care of her," he affirmed in that same dutiful tone. He swelled his chest out, as if to assume a proud pose. Pearl's expression lingered on the Gem.

"Alright," she eventually said, returning to the Gem shards around them. Steven didn't get the idea that she was ignoring Amethyst's condition in favor of a mission; he liked to think that she simply trusted him enough to not worry. She seemed to convey something along those lines, telling him, "I'll bubble all these shards. Just continue the same way we were going."

Steven nodded, securing his grasp on Amethyst. He carefully walked past Pearl, keeping an eye out for any other small Gem shards hiding in the grass. Hopefully they weren't too scattered, both for Pearl's and his own sake. He gave one last look to Pearl, noticing her conviction to bubble every Gem shard. She seemed eager to focus on such a simple task. In all honesty, Steven didn't blame her. There was too much atypical Gem business within the past half-hour for his tastes.

Humming, Steven moved through the grass, making sure to keep his path straight.

* * *

 **A/N:** For the most part, I fail to update all that frequently as a result of being busy with drawing (and soon college, yay) but lucky for you, this was all written a fair amount of time in the past. This means that you can keep reading without stopping if you want! Hint, hint.


	4. Provenance, IV

**A/N:** Back again for another chapter, huh? I'm kinda flattered. I'm really glad you've been enjoying this story (I'm assuming, at least, since you're this far into it by now) and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _IV: Provenance, Part IV_

The warp-pad wasn't too far from where Pearl had stayed. Still, the walk back felt a lot longer when Steven was left in silence. Not a whole lot he thought of could make the minutes pass any faster. First Amethyst's odd condition, and now the Gem corruption. As optimistic as Steven tended to be, it was a little hard to put a positive spin on either topic.

He found the warp-pad in a clearer patch of grass, still in the yellowed savannah that they'd fallen to some time ago. The gleaming structure was a welcome sight. For what must've been the dozenth time since he continued his walk alone, Steven glanced up at his companion, making sure she was still comfortable on his back. Her neutral expression didn't convey much, though she did seem much less tired now than she was before. Thankfully, there still wasn't much a good nap couldn't solve. Steven grinned a little.

Stepping on the warp-pad, he glanced towards the sky, finding the blue turning into a more orangish color. The sun must've just started setting. Steven didn't think their mission had taken that long, but it was difficult to tell when shifting time-zones so rapidly. For all he knew, it was already dusk back at the Temple. With a little will, a bright, azure light shot up from the warp-pad, enveloping him and his companion. He made sure to keep her upright as the weightlessness set in from warping; it'd be a little awkward to wake her up with an abrupt fall.

A few moments later, the light cleared away, and weight returned to the both of them. Previous experience let him be ready for it this time around. Steven fell a small distance to the warp-pad underneath him, but aside from catching Amethyst in the previously secure hold he had on her, he landed without any trouble. Some strands of his companion's hair fell back in front of him, momentarily blocking his view. Blowing them away let his eyes adjust to the sight of the Temple.

The Temple seemed to be as it was left, for the most part. Mostly empty, aside from Garnet. Steven found her sitting at the kitchen in a contemplative pose. Still, the familiarity was comforting. She leaned over the countertop purposefully before catching Steven's eyes. The stiffness of her posture melted in a matter of moments.

"There you are," she breathed out, sounding a little relieved. Steven hummed, stepping off of the warp-pad and towards the open-spaced living room. He gave Garnet about three seconds to notice the state of his companion; she recoiled in two. Wordlessly, the fusion rose an eyebrow towards Steven as he moved in front of the couch, facing her. Then she noticed who was missing.

"Where's Pearl?" she asked, though her eyes were still on Amethyst. Enough about the situation was odd enough for the fusion to frown.

"She's getting the rest of the Gem shards," Steven answered. Garnet's frown intensified as a result. Despite her obvious unsettlement, Steven rose an open palm, asking her to wait for a moment as he positioned himself in front of the couch.

Carefully, he sat Amethyst onto the cushions as best as he could, still keeping her injured leg in mind. He was even more careful with lifting her arms from his neck, putting them to her sides in what was hopefully a comfortable position. The extra cushion already on the couch's corner was a little convenient. After making sure she was still asleep, Steven finally turned towards Garnet, a sheepish expression on his features.

"You missed a lot," he admitted, moving past Amethyst to sit next to her. She'd naturally fallen into a lazy lean against the side of the couch, which would've been a much more comforting sight if her hair hadn't been that dark gray. By now, it looked like the locks had graduated into a lightened black, almost as dark as Steven's hair.

"...apparently," Garnet eventually let out, moving from the kitchen's stool. Her pace was as slow as Pearl's was, the fusion keeping her eyes on Amethyst the entire way. Her sunglasses prevented Steven from confirming where her gaze was, though it wasn't the most unusual notion for her too look so concerned towards Amethyst. He probably would've done the same. Sensing her worry, he started with the most important thing first.

"She's okay right now," he told Garnet. Hopefully his assumption wasn't entirely based on optimism. "She was just… a little tired."

Garnet nodded, moving to sit on the coffee table across from where Amethyst rested. She reached a tentative hand outwards, gently touching the Gem's hair as if to make sure its color wasn't some illusion. Sure enough, it wasn't. Garnet moved her eyes to Steven, asking for some kind of explanation. For a brief moment, he hesitated.

"We don't really know for sure," he prefaced, careful to not jump to conclusions, "but I think it's because of how we unfused."

At this, Garnet tilted her head to the side. "You fused?" she asked, having that subtle impression of surprise in her voice. Steven met her curiosity with a perplexed nod, frowning. Amethyst and him fusing wasn't the most unrealistic notion.

"The corrupted Gem was big," he explained. On some undefinable instinct, he moved just a tad closer to Amethyst. "Really big. We pretty much _had_ to fuse to fight her."

Given that Garnet was the one that issued the mission, Steven didn't entirely understand this being news to her. She raised an understanding palm upwards. Then she gave a "go on" motion with her hand.

Thinking for a second, Steven looked to the ceiling, attempting to get a little more comfortable on the couch. To quote Pearl earlier, he had to think that this might take a while. "We- uh, Smoky,- poofed the Gem- well, a tree did, but…"

Steven shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order. It was a little difficult to remember who experienced what. Starting over, he took a preparatory breath. It would probably be best to start with where the weirdness first settled in.

"When we fused, Smoky wasn't acting like usual," Steven began, putting his hands together on his lap. His voice became just a little quieter, matching the subtle concern of Garnet's expression. "They were really worried about someone. But… Pearl thinks that maybe Amethyst was worried, not Smoky."

An abrupt grunt from Amethyst stopped Steven's words short. He looked to her, finding her exposed eye just a little open. Though he couldn't see much of her expression with how she looked away from him, she seemed grudgingly regretful, somehow. He couldn't tell how he knew; he was a little surprised to find her awake in the first place. She didn't expand anymore on Steven's explanation, allowing him to pick it back up after a pregnant quiet.

"...anyways," he carefully resumed. Garnet had taken Amethyst's awakening in stride. "While we were fighting the corrupted Gem, Smoky fell off the island with it and unfused. It was really… sudden. The Gem poofed when it hit the ground, but I made sure we landed okay."

Amethyst hummed, moving the cushion behind her head a little. She still didn't look all that comfortable. "Thought _we_ poofed her," she muttered, her voice atypically quiet. Steven assured her that they did before Garnet urged him to continue, listening intently.

"After we landed, Amethyst said she was tired." Steven paused for a second, giving Amethyst the opportunity to speak for herself if she wanted to. She didn't take the chance, letting Steven speak for the both of them. Her decision didn't seem like a happy one, though. Steven continued regardless. "Her hair was normal at the time, but she still didn't look too great."

"Ain't my fault," she interjected again. Steven felt his eyebrows furrow together in a concerned expression. Garnet raised an eyebrow, making an offhand comment that she assumed as much. After another brief pause, Steven recounted what he could.

"Pearl turned into a bird to come fly down to us-she was still on the island-but she got chased away by some of the Gem's babies."

As Steven expected, Garnet rose a hand in the air, telling him to pause for a moment. "I thought the Gem had been defeated," she tried confirming, finding a contradiction in Steven's story. Now Amethyst was the one to answer, albeit after an annoyed grunt.

"It _was,_ " she told Garnet, like she just wasn't listening. "That's the weird part."

Garnet tilted her head slightly, looking to Steven for confirmation. He nodded. "One of the weird parts, at least," he added with a shrug. There were plenty more weird parts he could've discussed, though he didn't think they were as important as the ones concerning his friend.

"Then I went to get the Gem," he continued. Garnet seemed to understand his priorities well enough to avoid asking anything about the corruption. "But when I came back, Amethyst looked-"

Steven glanced at his companion for a second. She didn't return his gaze, still facing away from him. Her fingers drummed on the couch's side. "She still seemed tired, and her hair was darker."

"Don't ask me when that happened," Amethyst told him, sitting up a little straighter. She stretched her back, like she usually did following a nap. Steven could interpret that as her giving up on going back to sleep. She sighed, though he had to admit that she looked somewhat revitalized by her brief rest. The bags under her eyes had disappeared, too. The violet Gem kicked her legs up onto the table Garnet was sitting on. "Still kinda weirded out by that."

Steven nodded, finding the occurrence a little strange himself. Hopefully the change was purely cosmetic. Reminded of her other, less-noticeable change, Steven grimaced, slouching somewhat into the couch.

"...plus," he added in a quiet tone, "her foot was hurt, too."

Both Garnet and Amethyst frowned, probably hearing the awkward guilt in his voice. The latter moved her leg a little, trying to downplay its severity.

"It ain't so bad, now," she told her companion. Steven hummed, though still didn't sit that comfortably. The couch's cushions suddenly felt a little too hard. After a long pause, Amethyst picked up where he abruptly let off, meeting Garnet's curious gaze.

"Before we found the huge Gem," she told Garnet, "we found a way-smaller Gem on the island. Probably one of the thing's kids. While we were goin' after it, Steven messed up his foot a little."

Garnet connected the rest of the dots surprisingly quickly, nodding in realization. "And after Smoky unfused, your foot was the one that was injured."

Out of the corner of Steven's eye, he could see Amethyst give a small nod. Garnet also seemed to realize that was why Steven had been carrying his companion when he came in on the warp-pad. Now Amethyst explained to the fusion what had happened, clearing her throat.

"So P met back up with us after Steven got that thing's Gem," she spoke, sitting up a little straighter. "Said that she saw a warp-pad while she was flying from those smaller Gems. My foot was a little janked up, though-"

She suddenly looked at Steven, raising her arms like she was trying to ease him. "-not that it's your fault, or anything- so we walked… well, Steven and P started walking to the pad, I kinda… got carried, and then…?"

Steven rose an eyebrow, as did Garnet. Amethyst shrugged, motioning for Steven to continue. He couldn't quite understand her sudden shift, causing her to explain.

"I fell asleep," she told him slowly. The Gem suddenly crossed her arms, having an irked frown adorn her features. "Even though I told ya not to let me."

Now Steven understood why she left off where she did. He let out an embarrassed, "Oh," rubbing the back of his neck. To be fair, it seemed like letting her rest had been the right choice, but he did offer a brief apology. Amethyst grunted, shrugging indifferently.

Garnet accordingly turned back to Steven, placing her hands on her knees in some kind of anticipation. Though, he was hesitant to relay exactly what he and Pearl talked about. Some of it was already said, and the rest was the kind of stuff he thought Amethyst would rather discuss in private. Keeping her privacy in mind, Steven tried glossing over the walk back as best as he could, ignoring Amethyst's curious expression.

"Pearl and I found some Gem shards on the way back, even though, y'know, the babies weren't supposed to have Gems." Garnet hummed a befuddled agreement, as did Amethyst. "She said that she'd bubble them, but there were a lot, so I walked with Amethyst for the rest of the way while she found the rest of them. Then… we got here, I guess."

Amethyst thought over the discussion for a moment, mentally checking if he left anything out. Not that she could tell for the duration of her sleeping. "Yep," she confirmed with a nod, looking satisfied. "That about sums it up. Lotsa weird stuff."

For some time, Garnet digested what Steven had said. He was tempted to ask about Amethyst's condition right away, now that Garnet had been brought up to speed, but he had to remind himself to be somewhat patient. As worried as he was for his companion, she was fine for the time being. Her familiar relaxation on the couch was a good indication. Still, he couldn't quite get over the change in her hair. According to how she subconsciously picked at the strands, Amethyst couldn't get over it, either.

"That _is_ weird," Garnet eventually breathed out, scratching her chin. Steven didn't know how to feel about the most knowledgeable Gem being at as much of a loss as he was. Frowning, she looked back at Steven, leaning forwards a little. "You think Smoky unfusing was what caused Amethyst to be so tired and have an injured foot? And… change her hair?"

On instinct, Steven nodded, though looked back at Amethyst as he did. She agreed quietly, probably not having much else to go off of. At least Garnet was more concerned with Amethyst than the oddness of the corruption they'd fought. Fittingly, the fusion moved the coffee table a little closer to the couch, sitting closer to both Gems. Steven scooted a little closer himself; detecting the incoming lecture, Amethyst moved as well. She didn't seem as aggravated as usual to receive one, though. More curious than irked.

"Fusion is a combination of individuals," Garnet began, her voice a little lower. She put her elbows on her knees, locking her fingers together in a contemplative pose. "They share _everything_ from either person. Not just their thoughts and emotions, but the physical energy of their Gems, as well. That's how fusions sustain such larger forms so easily."

Amethyst nodded, probably having heard this talk before. Steven didn't think this was entirely news, either, given the colossal size of fusions like Alexandrite or Sugilite.

"Steven, however," Garnet continued, turning towards him, "you're more than a Gem. You have the physical form of a human _as well as_ the energy from your Gem."

Again, Steven nodded. "Right," he said, used to the implications of being a Gem-human hybrid. If there was anything he'd learned by now, it was that he was definitely a "special case". Garnet turned back towards Amethyst, who rose an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Amethyst is a normal quartz. Your body is entirely made from the light of your Gem, like me. As a result, Smoky-"-she suddenly locked her fingers a little tighter, clasping her palms together- "-is _almost_ completely made of their Gems' light, but they still retain the human aspects of Steven-his physical body."

Now Amethyst appeared intrigued. She leaned a little closer, having a mixture of apprehension and anticipation on her features. Her darker hair made her seem more serious, somehow. For once, she was quiet, letting Garnet continue uninterrupted. Steven did the same, more out of awe than eagerness.

"Based on the past, it would seem like your physical form completely returns to you when Smoky unfuses, Steven." Garnet looked down at her hands, and pulled them apart purposefully before closing them into loose fists. "And Amethyst's Gem remains unaffected."

Steven had unknowingly moved himself to the edge of the couch's seat as Garnet spoke. So far, she seemed to be making sense. His body _would_ have to go somewhere whenever he fused. Looking back at Amethyst made him realize the same question she had impatiently asked out loud.

"So, why's this time so much weirder?" she questioned Garnet, leaning towards her expectantly. A worried expression had settled on her features, causing Steven to mimic her. Like before, she seemed much more troubled than the usual Amethyst he knew would be. Garnet hummed for a moment, thinking. She locked her hands together again.

"Steven had said that when Smoky unfused this time, it was sudden, right?"

The young Gem pondered for a moment. Reluctantly, Steven nodded. Amethyst didn't offer her own perspective on the matter, letting Garnet explain what she could.

"It would seem that unfusing so rapidly and without much agreement didn't give Steven's body enough time to return to him completely." Garnet rapidly pulled her hands apart again, though purposefully left her bottom two fingers intertwined. Both Steven and Amethyst frowned, staring at her hands. Before Steven could question exactly what that meant for his companion, she spoke up.

"'Without much agreement?'" she questioned, sounding skeptical. A surprising amount of accusation could be heard in her voice. "What's that s'pposed to mean?"

Garnet looked at her straight on. Steven couldn't have imagined she looked that intimidating on purpose. "You were worried, weren't you?"

The fusion's tone made her question more genuine, though Steven still got the idea that it was more of a rhetorical question. Amethyst paused ever so slightly; then, she crossed her arms, leaning back into the couch. She looked away from Steven again.

"Not… that much," she tried dismissing. Her effort wasn't that effective. Though she tried passing her concern off as trivial, Steven had gotten the idea there was more to it than she let on. He wouldn't push her. At least, not in Garnet's presence. The fusion nodded before finishing her explanation.

"It looks like some of Steven's physical body was… 'left' in you, Amethyst." Garnet looked towards the Gem's injured leg, probably making her a little more uncomfortable. "And it would seem that it's being appropriated accordingly, most likely to avoid some kind of breakdown."

Her last statement hung in the air. Quietly, Steven looked to his companion, wondering exactly what that had meant. She frowned to herself, digesting Garnet's explanation like he was attempting to do. Trying to make sense of what Garnet had said about his body being "left" in Amethyst wasn't something either one of them could accomplish quickly. Fusion seemed a lot more complicated when Gem-human hybrids were involved. Just as Steven was about to question why Stevonnie was a different matter, Amethyst hummed some kind of disapproval.

"Don't really like how you said 'appropriated'," she muttered. After a weathered sigh, she sat back up a little straighter, facing Garnet directly. A bothered expression settled on her features. "So you're saying I… _stole_ his body or something? Part of it?"

Garnet shook her head. "I wouldn't say that," she denied, raising a hand upwards. "More like… you forgot to give it back."

Amethyst's expression didn't improve at the clarification. Steven didn't get the idea that she had forced them to unfuse intentionally, but her obvious guilt made it seemed like she blamed herself for their current predicament regardless. It was about as comforting to her as it was to him. After a few moments of silent contemplation, she looked back at Garnet.

" _Can_ I, y'know, give it back?" she asked, sounding hopeful. Steven matched her tone with a questioning hum, facing Garnet like she was. If her explanation was accurate (which it seemed to be) then he had to guess there was a way to revert the odd change of his companion. Unfortunately, Garnet's neutral expression felt more uncertain than optimistic.

"It's… possible," she said carefully. She sounded like she was hesitant to instill any false hope, worrying Steven further. "I'm not certain, though. It's difficult to tell with fusion. That's part of the fun of it."

Steven rose a skeptical eyebrow at Garnet's abrupt smirk. Fusion _was_ her forte, after all. Amethyst gave her an unamused grunt, ironically not finding too much humor in the situation. Realizing the last addend to her answer, Garnet forced a cough, returning to a more serious tone.

"You can try fusing," she said with a nod. Garnet stood back up from the table, sliding it back into place as she rose. Her expression suddenly darkened, preventing Steven from asking anything for a little longer. "Don't force it, though. Fusion should always be an _agreement._ "

Confused by both her dire demeanor and the unnecessary warning, Steven looked back at Amethyst. She didn't really match his confusion. Instead of casually waving off Garnet's words, she seemed troubled by something. Her fingers had returned to drumming on the couch's side.

"We shouldn't have any trouble," Steven confidently affirmed for the both of them, hoping to rid Amethyst of any doubts she might've had. The sight of her minor surprise was somehow amplified by the dark color of her hair. Still, he didn't let that damper his determination. "We can fuse whenever we need. Right, Amethyst?"

There was a brief pause between when Steven spoke and when she seemingly heard her. Realizing the silence, Amethyst nodded, a usual laid-back expression returning to her features. It still looked somewhat forced. She hummed agreement, laying back into the couch again with a smirk. Garnet mimicked her, now moving towards the warp-pad with her own proud smile. Probably due to the idea of fusion in general, if Steven had to guess. That was something she never really got bored of. Her amusement didn't entirely distract him away from Amethyst's minor frown.

"I'll leave you to it, then," she told the Gems, adjusting her sunglasses. "I'm going to check on Pearl, make sure she doesn't miss any Gem shards by accident."

While he heard Garnet perfectly fine, Steven couldn't ignore Amethyst's expression enough to pay that much attention. She returned to that odd position of forcefully looking away from him, like there was more she needed to discuss without actually wanting to discuss any of it. As Garnet stepped onto the warp-pad, one last question fell out of Steven's mouth.

"What if we don't fuse, though?" he questioned, still looking towards Amethyst. Garnet stopped walking, one foot on the warp-pad as she turned towards him. Amethyst faced him directly as well, visibly surprised. On instinct, Steven raised his hands defensively.

"I mean, we _should,_ " he explained himself, "And we're for sure going to, but… would anything else happen to her? Like, any other changes besides her foot and her hair?"

Amethyst couldn't quite understand what he was getting at, though she still seemed to tell his question stemmed beyond a natural curiosity. Hopefully she'd be unable to tell why his question reached as far as it did. With Garnet still in the room, Steven didn't get the idea that discussing whatever insecurities his companion may or may not have wasn't really polite, nor something she'd really appreciate. Some thoughtful moments of pondering passed, and then Garnet shrugged again.

"I can't tell for certain," she admitted, looking back at Amethyst's hair. "Maybe her hair is all that's been changed. It's difficult for me to tell."

Even though it wasn't the most satisfying of answers, Steven found getting a full explanation was a little hopeful. Just because Garnet knew the most about fusion didn't mean she knew everything. Steven hummed to himself, slouching into the couch. Amethyst watched him for a few moments.

"I'll be back soon," Garnet told the both of them, stepping onto the warp-pad completely. She paused for a moment, thinking. About what was anyone's guess; her sunglasses didn't help Steven tell. "If I'm not back soon, then I'll likely be helping Pearl."

She must've been checking timelines. Amethyst grunted, saluting lazily as a casual farewell. Steven gave the standard, "See you later," before a bright light shot up from the warp-pad, enveloping Garnet. After a few seconds, the luminescence left, leaving Steven and his companion alone in the Temple.

The following silence felt far more awkward than Steven would've ever anticipated. Despite Amethyst's usually casual nature, she seemed deceptively tense, like her quiet was the only alternative to… something. Again, Steven couldn't tell how he read his friend so well, considering she was just sitting on the couch lazily. It wasn't the most expressive position she could be in. Rather than comment or ask about whatever thought she was so enraptured with, Steven cleared his throat, trying to disperse the silence.

"So…" he started, trying to keep his voice both neutral and optimistic, "We… should fuse, right?"

Amethyst hummed, looking to the side. She had taken to picking at her darkened hair again. "Yeah," she agreed quietly. The Gem didn't say anymore, not moving in the slightest. Steven decided to move ever so slightly closer on the couch, hoping that he wouldn't have to prod. He gave her a couple moments to explain. Maybe being alone would be enough.

A few hopeful moments passed. Amethyst didn't say anything about either fusing _or_ whatever she was upset by, leaving Steven with practically nothing to work with. He sighed, letting out a tentative hum to attract her attention. Even though she had turned towards him, she only glanced at him for a brief moment before her eyes looked away purposefully.

"Um," Steven began carefully, "what's wrong, Amethyst?"

Immediately, the Gem shook her head, denying the notion. "Nothin'," she answered in a casual tone. If Steven was honest, she wasn't all that great of a liar at the moment. Amethyst could tell the lack of authenticity her answer offered, grimacing like her voice just cracked. She looked back at the empty warp-pad, then pulled her legs up onto the couch in a cross-legged sitting position.

"...sorry," she muttered, sounding glum. Her expression fell alongside her casual demeanor. It was difficult to tell what exactly she was apologizing for without any further explanation. Nothing that came to Steven's mind made sense to him; she couldn't be faulted for much of anything at the moment. He moved a bit closer, careful to keep a respectful distance while still showing his support. Not the easiest of tasks, but he had practice before.

"What for?" Steven asked quietly. He sat up a little straighter on some attentive instinct. Amethyst didn't elaborate, meeting the question with silence. For a moment, he considered patting her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her, though was hesitant to touch her with knowing as little as he did. Instead, he tried for a smile.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" His voice gained a little more sincerity. "'Worst Gems stick together.'"

That got a reaction out of Amethyst. She turned to him abruptly, raising a curious eyebrow. Being able to read her so well didn't have much to do with how easy Steven could see the sliver of understanding she recognized. Thankfully, she seemed more grateful than dismissive of his reminder.

"Right," she confirmed with a nod, sounding a little more confident. With the both of them being the only people in the Temple, she seemed much readier to talk than Steven anticipated. He wasn't complaining. His friend spoke slowly, probably hesitant to lose her casual voice.

"I just- I feel bad." Steven tilted his head to the side. That much was obvious (for better or for worse) though he made no move to interrupt her. "I should… _trust_ you more, y'know? You're not a kid."

Trust certainly wasn't something that Steven would've thought of as the problem. He wasn't used to Amethyst having such an earnest doubt, but he nodded regardless. The fact of her doubt was what he wanted to help dispute, not what it was. Amethyst continued, hearing the silent support he offered and appearing somewhat grateful.

"You've been through a lotta stuff, I know. Defending Beach City, bubbling some planet-sized Cluster, even running from the Diamonds." She paused, sharing his reflection on his past adventures. For a brief moment, they managed to share a small grin as well. It didn't last as long on Amethyst's lips. "So it _makes sense_ that you don't get scared, right? So… I shouldn't either."

Now Steven frowned, not quite agreeing with either notion. Before he could move to contradict Amethyst's train of thought, she groaned in some regretful manner.

"This last Gem was _huge._ Like, biggest I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot." Amethyst shook her head, frowning. Her voice became a little quieter. "And even though the thing was a monster, you weren't scared at all to fight it. So, why should I-"

"Because you were there," Steven suddenly interrupted. He was as surprised at hearing his own voice as Amethyst was. It wasn't really his plan to speak; something about Amethyst's regretful tone forced the words out of his mouth. She paused, looking at him with a surprised gape. Now that he'd spoken, he decided it was best to explain while he could.

"Of course I'd be scared by a Gem that big," he admitted to his companion. He moved a little closer, placing a hand on Amethyst's shoulder. Her surprise prevented her from being all that receptive, though she still seemed to notice, according to her tense pose loosening up. "Pearl was too. But… that's why we fused. Having each other was why Smoky could fight the Gem in the first place."

Steven paused for a moment, giving his companion an earnest smile. "Amethyst, I wasn't scared because I knew I had you to rely on if something bad happened."

Despite their past agreement, Amethyst seemed surprised by the notion. More than surprised; she seemed bewildered that something like her presence could ease Steven to such a degree. "Oh," was all she said, as if their mutual reliance was news to her. The smallest hint of a blush rose to her features, only partially covered by the dark hair of her long bangs. With him being so direct to someone that tended to hold her cards close to her chest, he could understand the darker hue of her cheeks as a little embarrassed. The deeper violet was overtaken by a crestfallen expression in a matter of moments.

"Guess I… kinda dropped the ball on that one too, huh?" she told Steven quietly, looking away from him again. The brief support they'd shared was lost in just a few seconds, causing Steven to frown out of concern. At least Amethyst didn't shrug off his contact, continuing. "I got us into all this weirdness, just 'cause I was so worried about you. I should have trusted you more than that. And look at where worrying got us."

Her voice was heavy, still reminiscent of her nonsensical guilt. She moved her leg carefully, though she didn't seem physically bothered by the injury, meaning it had likely been healed by now. Still, it seemed to have a lasting impact on her. "Hurt my leg n' ruined my hair."

Steven matched her frown, concerned at how much she was attributing to herself. Usually, Amethyst would spend the majority of a conversation convincing someone that whatever she'd done _wasn't_ her fault. Now she seemed convinced that something she didn't do _was_ her fault. There wasn't much humor in the irony. After a moment's thought, Steven hummed.

"That's not your fault," he told his companion simply, half-consciously sounding like she usually did. Amethyst opened her mouth to disagree, but Steven continued before she could. "I get worried too, Amethyst. Everyone does. It's not something people do on purpose, but it's not something you should feel bad about, either. It just means you care."

Amethyst hummed, muttering some incredulous statement about how Steven managed to put a positive spin on everything. That was his forte, he guessed. Some of the anxious guilt in Amethyst's features was replaced with a curious consideration, which hopefully meant she understood his perspective. A shred of her doubts seemed to linger, though. For a brief moment, Steven paused, thinking on his words. It didn't take him long to find them, deciding to speak more directly than usual (which was saying something).

"It's good to have something- or someone- to lose."

A slight recoil from her wasn't entirely what Steven expected. She looked at him in silence, now completely paying attention to his features. At least he had seemed to get rid of any doubts. He gave his companion an easy grin, silently praying he hadn't gone "too far" in trying to ease her. His last statement felt right to say, though. As if she needed the clarification. Again, Amethyst said an inaudible, "Oh," in response, accompanied by a hint of rosiness in her cheeks. She gave him a more comprehensible response after clearing her throat.

"...well put," she eventually granted, smiling earnestly. It was a comforting enough sight for Steven's smile to turn genuine. He liked to think that was what Amethyst needed to hear. She swept some of her longer bangs behind her ear, visibly more comfortable on the couch. "I actually… really appreciate you saying that."

Steven nodded, both understanding and appreciating her gratitude. Somehow, the couch cushions he sat on felt softer to him, too. Amethyst continued giving him a contented smile for a few seconds; then, she suddenly laughed, shaking her head.

"C'mere," she told him, spreading her arms outwards. The motion removed Steven's grasp from her shoulder, though it was obvious where to put his arms next. With his own contented laugh, he wrapped his arms around Amethyst, sharing a snug embrace. The world seemed a tad brighter for the moment. Even though she was the one he was trying to comfort, he felt his own kind of… security. It was nice; nice enough that he could afford to tighten his hug without fearing it'd make things too awkward. Amethyst followed after his example, and even though his eyes were shut, the couch they sat on felt even brighter.

A cozy feeling emanated throughout his body, warming it up in a comfortable heat from his head to his toes. Something told him Amethyst had a similar feeling. That cozy security was shared for another few moments before someone else could feel the warmth. They thought it was nice enough to enjoy, too. Then they noticed the relatively deeper impression they were making in the couch.

Confused, Smoky dropped their asymmetrical arms, loosening their grip. They turned to face the coffee table in front of the couch, but didn't risk putting their legs up on it like Amethyst had earlier. Rather than relax, Smoky looked at the palms of their hands, still startled.

"I… didn't mean to…" they mumbled to their self. They could hear a surprising amount of indecision in their own voice. Looking at their hands for another few seconds, they shook their head. They were there now, they supposed, so there wasn't much point in thinking about how they got there in the first place. Besides, when the first thing they felt was a warm coziness, there probably wasn't a whole lot to feel that offset about.

Smoky took a deep breath, purposely relaxing into the couch more comfortably. They thanked that it could support their weight so easily. Since they were already relaxed by nature of their character, calming further wasn't entirely necessary, but they thought it was a good measure to take. They closed their eyes in a calm respite, breathing peacefully. Much more comfortable than the last thing they could attribute as their memory.

Once they were sure there wasn't any underlying problem or concern to worry about, Smoky placed the three of their hands on their knees, breathing out again. They carefully exhaled, allowing their self to come to a complete agreement before lowering into the couch further. Like before, the world brightened a tad, probably as an effect from their Gems glowing.

Then, after a satisfied hum, Steven opened his eyes. He was back to sitting on the couch, almost in the exact same position he was in when he left it. The only difference was the proximity of his companion. Rather than being pushed up against the couch's cushion like before, Amethyst lay over his legs, half her limbs drooping over the side of the couch in what could only be defined as a lazy pose. Noticing her, Steven grimaced.

The hair over her one eye was still very much black, albeit that lightened one. It didn't seem worse or changed at all, the locks still dark like Steven's own hair. Other than that odd change, Amethyst still looked as she usually did. A white tank-top, black leggings, violet Gem, and fair lavender skin. Her usual appearance made the one oddity stand out even further.

"Amethyst?" Steven said softly, hoping she wasn't so exhausted like the first time. They _had_ understood each other, probably more so now than ever before. Maybe that didn't matter as much when it came to being so tired. The Gem's eyes lay closed in some respite, which did little to make her look all that energized. After saying her name a second time, Amethyst groaned, reaching an arm up to rub her eye.

"...didn't work, did it?" she drew out through a yawn. Even without looking at her hair, she could tell fusing didn't have much of an effect on her condition. Steven got the idea it was her exhaustion that had told her as much. Reluctantly, he hummed affirmation, giving her a concerned frown. He really hoped that would change her hair back. Instead of a frustrated groan, however, Amethyst waved her other hand in the air.

"Ah, don't sweat it," she eased him, sitting up. Steven moved to help her on instinct, but she didn't seem as fatigued as before. More sleepy than exhausted. Her small grin added to the illusion, as did the subtle slur of her words. "Jus'... try later…"

Steven set her to the couch's side again, humming a dissatisfied tone. She seemed much less bothered than he was, according to her eagerness to push into the couch's soft cushion again. Now that she (arguably) had a more proper place to rest as opposed to the grass and dirt of some savanna, she was much readier to do nothing than before. Assuaging her reluctance to worry probably helped.

Silently, Steven looked at his friend, thinking. She hadn't even gotten as far as finishing a full "Thanks," before she evidently nodded off, losing what little rigidness she had in her posture. That was even faster than the first time. Thankfully, she hadn't slid off the couch in the process, sitting contently. Her expression was definitely more at ease than it was the first time unfusing had made her so tired.

At least she was more comfortable than before. If she was at all bothered about being so tired again, she didn't seem to show it. Steven stood up from the couch, being careful to maintain the quiet and avoid making Amethyst any less comfortable. He moved past her carefully, looking at her dozing expression the entire way. As worried as he was for Amethyst falling back to resting, it didn't seem as dire this time around. Like it was a normal reaction to unfusing. Given how often Amethyst slept on her own, her sleep now didn't feel entirely out of the ordinary. It really was comforting to have her so much more relaxed, however odd the sight of her dark hair was. So comforting, in fact, that it distracted Steven enough for him to accidentally bump his toe on the table's leg.

The sudden bump on the table wasn't enough to stir Amethyst, but Steven still thought a couple psuedo-curses might've done it. He was silent anyways, though, being the patient person he was. Shaking his head, Steven continued past the coffee table. It wasn't his fault he was so distracted. He kicked off his sandals as he walked towards the stairs of his room, the only other noise being Amethyst's quiet snores from the couch.

"Heh," Steven chuckled to himself. Out like a light again. If her previous nap was anything to go by, then he assumed her resting was a good thing. Finding out why she needed a nap could come a little later.

Still making an effort to stay quiet, Steven ascended to his room, looking around for a brief moment. There was a lot he had to offer to distract himself. He settled on one of his longer books, and reached towards the volume. His other hand reached towards his un-made bed at the same time. At least now he'd have an excuse for not making it.

Steven moved back down the stairs, taking more care with his blanket than his book. Nearly falling down the stairs from the blanket getting caught on his nightstand was some cause for alarm, so he slowed his pace, reminding himself Amethyst wasn't going anywhere. He moved to the side of the coffee table, placing his book on its corner to grip his blanket with both hands.

After moving back in between the coffee table and the couch, he raised up the sheet cautiously, taking a brief moment to glance at Amethyst's expression again. Even though not a whole lot changed after fusing and unfusing, he got a sense of content from his companion. A few contemplative moments passed, and he placed a corner of the blanket on either side of where Amethyst lay. Extra care was put into making sure the blanket wouldn't slip off of her as she napped. Once he made sure she was adequately covered, he moved to sit next to her.

To make sure she was asleep, he tapped her shoulder lightly. No response was given beyond a usual snore. Smiling, Steven sat comfortably next to his friend, reaching for the book he sat down earlier. Maybe he was sitting a little close, but Amethyst couldn't tell as much. He didn't see the harm in it. As he opened the novel, he glanced towards the warp-pad uncertainly. Given that the others were still out collecting Gem shards, he guessed Garnet's presence had been necessary. Still, he was happy enough in Amethyst's presence. He did one final check over his companion, finding her with a persistently placid expression, and settled into the couch more comfortably. The cushions felt pleasantly soft, now.

* * *

 **A/N:** Initially, I toyed with the idea of separate "acts" to divide plots/scenes and such, but I didn't want to lock myself down for sure in case I wanted to try going a different direction. I'm more of a "go with the flow" kinda guy.

Also, here's the obligatory thanks to the great conglomerate of folks that support the story, either through a fave/follow/review or just a simple read. Honestly, I really do appreciate you taking the time to look at this thing. Thanks a bunch, love! :D


	5. Momentum, I

**A/N** : And some more! I could put some witty banter or jokes, but I don't want to devalue the great deal of text below this with an immersion-breaking acknowledgement up here. Which I guess I just kinda made anyways... oops.

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _V: Momentum, Part I_

 _Unsure, he called out a name, hoping to find them. He couldn't hear his voice, but it didn't feel lost to the sparkling void. A different voice echoed back at him; it wasn't Smoky, though. Steven had difficulty in discerning if it was his or someone else's. Despite the ambiguity of everything, however, he wasn't that unsettled. Something about the twinkling of the stars around him put the mock-silence in a more positive light. Smoky's presence only added to the feeling, as if they simply couldn't be seen at the moment._

 _More words echoed from the stars around him. It was impossible to tell what they were on sounds alone; instead, it was their emotions that spoke to him. A broken conversation met his ears, lacking the usual cohesion of speech but still understood far better than any authentic catharsis he'd experienced before. Steven smiled._

 _Someone was missing, though. Before he could figure out who, a distant rush of water shattered reality to pieces._

* * *

Some undefinable noise jolted Steven upright on the couch. The motion was so quick that he could feel himself leave its cushions for a second or two. Wide-eyed, he looked around, some of him still returning from the shining space-scape he was so abruptly taken from. He looked around cautiously, unsure of where he was brought to.

Though the living room was now dark (as was the rest of the Temple), the blanket next to him made it easier to remember. Seeing his novel splayed open on his leg helped as well. A far-off glow on the ocean's horizon could be seen through the windows of the Temple, but it couldn't have been any later than six in the morning. Steven returned his eyes to the large blanket next to him, frowning. He lifted it up cautiously.

No one was found underneath it now. One side of the blanket was folded across the couch, like someone had thrown it off in some kind of hurry. Confused, Steven let go of the blanket, standing up from the couch. A hard corner of wood struck against his knee.

He didn't make any sort of pained exclamation, but the impact was still startling enough to stumble Steven. Another clattering noise followed, not quite heavy enough to be the book he had set on the couch. After rubbing his knee alongside his own irked self-chastising, he bent towards what he assumed was some object that fell from the coffee table. The dawn's dimness prevented him from knowing what it was it immediately. He reached towards it, finding its comparatively darker outline about the size of his phone. Then he realized it _was_ his phone.

With a new urgency, Steven picked up the device, feeling the smooth surface of its screen with his thumb. Thank goodness, it wasn't cracked. A relieved sigh fell from his mouth. Still, he didn't remember putting it there in the first place. Steven looked around, unable to find anyone else in the Temple with him. No one sat at the kitchen nor was watching TV in his room, according to the silence. Out of curious instinct, he clicked his phone on, became momentarily blinded by the brightness, then dimmed the screen before looking at it. He furrowed his eyebrows in an unsettled grimace.

What had to be at least a dozen notifications dotted the screen, scrolling far below its threshold. Almost every single one had Connie's gleeful countenance next to it, though the messages were far from gleeful. The majority of them were worrisome about Steven's inability to respond, as though the Diamonds themselves had invaded again. Now Steven inspected his phone a little closer, looking through his friend's messages carefully. The most recent one had been sent yesterday just after nine-o'clock; "Nevermind, Lion's here."

At least that probably eased Connie. Breathing a sigh of relief, he removed the rest of the messages, finding the worry of his friend a welcome familiarity. An out-of-place message from Pearl halted his swiping. The text was short, far shorter than Steven would've expected from someone like Pearl. "Getting Gems. Be back tomorrow."

Steven hummed. The message's timestamp read "5:09 PM", which didn't seem accurate to him. He didn't recall it being that early in the evening. Given how his phone was put on the table, he assumed Garnet must've returned to place his phone in front of him and make sure he'd seen what Pearl had sent. Right after Pearl's message was a picture that he'd apparently sent to himself. Curious, Steven opened the photo.

A quarter of Garnet's face was in the frame, the fusion having a visible smile on her features. The more in-focus portion of the picture was some distance behind her, that being Steven and Amethyst sleeping on the couch. He sat with his back leaning up against her, the book he'd been reading still open on his leg. Amethyst didn't seem aware of his weight, curled up into the blanket and against the couch's cushions. She seemed content. The corner of Steven's lips moved up a little. His eyes lingered on his companion and him before he finally brought himself to close the photo.

For a moment, Steven considered replying to Connie, though reasoned it wasn't the right time. She might've been punctual, but waking her up before the sun even began to rise might've been pushing it. Instead, he pocketed his phone into his jeans, moving the coffee table forwards a bit more to avoid bumping into it for a third time in less than a 24 hours.

"Wonder where Amethyst is…" he pondered to himself, stretching the rest of his waking grogginess away. Her waking up before him was a new one. Even waking up before noon had been a surprising feat for her. She wasn't in the kitchen, so he had to assume she'd left to her room. Why she had left was harder to figure out.

Suddenly, a distant noise interrupted his train of thought. Finding it similar to what woke him, Steven frowned, looking to where the noise had come from. It'd sounded like a grunt, or a heave of air. He moved around the coffee table carefully, eyeing the bathroom door. Light streamed out from under it, but there was a noticeable silhouette of shade, like someone was sitting on the floor. The earlier heave was followed by some kind of labored breathing. Now worried, Steven stepped closer.

"...Amethyst?" he tried. Silence met his offer. For a moment, he hesitated in front of the door. Then he rapped his knuckles against the wood, knocking quietly. After another pause, a voice came out from behind the door.

"I-I'm fine," Amethyst told him, sounding explicitly _not_ fine. Her voice emanated from somewhere low to the ground. Considering Steven hadn't gotten around to asking if she was fine yet, her assurance that she was didn't really persuade him. He moved against the door, still worried. Another heave echoed through the wood, as if Amethyst had just gotten sucker-punched in the gut. Steven placed a hand on the doorknob.

"I'm coming in," he prefaced to his companion. Unsurprisingly, Amethyst told him not to, saying that she'd be out in a moment. Her words were cut off by the sound of the toilet flushing. Something was wrong enough for Steven to turn the doorknob anyways, sensing that his friend needed some kind of help. In light of recent events, that wasn't too far out there. Carefully, Steven pushed the door open, bracing.

Amethyst sat in front of the toilet bowl, hunched over it for some kind of support. Most of what Steven could see was blocked by her hair, the locks still a dark black. He stepped to her side, almost falling from moving so quickly. She _definitely_ wasn't fine. It was easy enough to tell as much from the strain of her posture alone.

"I told ya not to come in," Amethyst weakly argued, not facing Steven. Her voice was as labored as her breathing. Steven placed a hand on her back, trying to help her sit up easier. His other hand moved to her arm, gripping it securely. He didn't offer a rebuttal to her accusation. Instead, he tried easing his friend, having a vague idea of what she'd been going through.

Amethyst lurched forwards with another sudden hitch in her breathing, moving one arm to her stomach. In almost the same instant, Steven swept a hand in front of her face, holding her hair back. His grasp around her arm carefully tightened out of concern. She stayed over the bowl, taking a few rushed breaths. There wasn't much Steven could think of that could help her beyond offering what support he could.

After a few moments, Amethyst relaxed back down, still breathing hard. She reached up a hand towards the toilet's lever, though Steven beat her to it, telling her to take it easy. Despite how difficult it was to read her fatigued expression, she seemed a little grateful. Her paler complexion didn't ease up anytime soon. Then, Steven looked to the arm he was holding out of concern. Her skin was more than pale; it looked unsaturated, almost tinted gray. The color she did have was now some kind of light mauve, still darker than the usual lavender.

"Woke up like this," Amethyst told him quietly, seeing his expression. She eased down onto the floor, sitting carefully, and Steven took it as a prompt to let go of her hair. Still, he kept a cautious hand on his friend's back. To say he was worried was an understatement. He tried using what optimism he had to at least direct his concern.

"I'll be right back," he told Amethyst, tentatively letting go of her. She gave a hint of a nod, some of her hair falling back in front of her face. The Gem slouched onto the floor, her breaths slowly returning to a normal pace. Once he was absolutely sure she could sit on her own, Steven jolted up from the bathroom tiles, not wanting to waste a second. Instantly, he dashed from the bathroom towards the kitchen, throwing open numerous drawers and cabinets.

Less than a dozen seconds later, he returned to the bathroom, a loaf of bread in one hand and a glass of water in the other. The water nearly spilled out of the cup as he sat back next to Amethyst. She wasn't that receptive to his rush, swaying her head towards him. After making sure the water had stayed in the cup, Steven held it out.

"Here," he offered. His tone didn't entirely make it seem like an offer, though Amethyst didn't read any poor intent from him. She sat up a little straighter, nodding gratitude as she took the cup. Carefully, she rose it to her lips, taking a small sip at first. Then she took a more purposeful swig. After about six seconds of gulping down water, she lowered the cup.

Wordlessly, she looked towards the loaf of bread in Steven's hand. That was all the incentive he needed to unwrap the bread's packaging, taking out a piece and handing it to her in moments. His rush was more out of being polite than urgent. Amethyst moved to the wall of the bathroom, leaning up against it as she took a bite of the bread. Even though it was possibly the blandest thing she could've eaten, she seemed more than satisfied. Steven had to think that was a step in the right direction.

He moved next to Amethyst's side, allowing her to eat at her own pace, not wanting to be too motherly. She smirked at him, shaking her head as she took another slice of bread.

"Guess there's more to this whole human thing than we thought, huh?" she told him, taking another long drink of water after a second. As much as he didn't really want to, Steven nodded, agreeing that there was apparently more than met the eye. Not that the change in Amethyst's skin was taken in stride. He glanced at her bare arm as he leaned the loaf of bread against the wall between them, noting how uniform the difference in color was across her whole body.

"Are you sick?" he asked, tempted to put a hand on Amethyst's forehead but deciding against it. If she'd taken some part of his human body like Garnet had explained, then he wondered if she had also taken some cold he had yet to feel the effects of. Amethyst shook her head, though didn't look entirely sure.

"Don't think so," she answered, looking to the cup of water she'd put on the floor. "Just felt like my stomach was gonna eat itself. Guess it tried to."

Though that provided enough of an explanation to make sense to Steven, his frown persisted. Amethyst's eagerness for the bread and water felt a lot more dire when it was for such a different reason.

"You were hungry," Steven said to himself as much as Amethyst, humming a discontent tune. His companion paused for a moment, now looking at the bread in her hand in a new kind of light. She was hesitant to nod.

"Sounds about right," she admitted quietly. Needing food was much more daunting to her than wanting it, judging by the Gem's slight grimace. After a brief sigh, she resumed eating, speaking in between bites of bread. Her grimace dissipated over the next few seconds. "Last thing I ate wasn't really food, though. Ain't my fault they make toothpaste taste so good."

Amethyst paused suddenly, turning towards Steven almost too seriously to _not_ be comical. "We're out of toothpaste, by the way."

Steven appreciated the attempt at humor, but it unfortunately didn't quite hit its mark. He was too busy wondering what, if anything, counted as actual food or a poor source of nutrition to Gem-human hybrids. Anything his father could eat, he could, but was there a different threshold when it came to more Gem-like people?

A push on Steven's shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. It was good-natured enough to lift his mood, if only a little. He looked to Amethyst, who shrugged with a much more casual expression than he could muster.

"It's no biggie," she admitted, waving her half-eaten bread towards him. Her tone was surprisingly genuine, probably due to how easy-going she seemed to be about getting hungry. "Most of that stuff I ate just to gross Pearl out. Bet she'll be _glad_ I can't eat toothpaste anymore."

Amethyst seemed much readier to accept the forced change in her diet than Steven was. Somehow, though, it persuaded Steven to take her more comical approach with a small grin. He chuckled, appreciating his friend's ability to look on the brighter side of things when he couldn't. He supposed they balanced each other out in that regard.

"If you haven't noticed," Amethyst continued, smirking, "I ain't gonna mind eating, anyways." She pat her belly in pride. A laugh escaped Steven's mouth, having a persistently appreciative authenticity. Both his and Amethyst's moods seemed to improve at the sound. It put her condition since last night in a less dire light, which Steven wholeheartedly accepted. Now confident, he moved a bit closer to Amethyst, careful to not tip over the loaf of bread.

"Maybe we can still heal you," he brought up. Amethyst paused half-way towards reaching for another slice of bread, and he put one in her open palm. She rose a curious eyebrow as she ate, letting Steven explain.

"Mom's fountain," he told her simply. The idea made sense to him. "It heals Gems, right? So maybe it'll turn you back to normal, since you're supposed to be _all_ Gem."

Amethyst didn't look convinced right away. She pondered in silence for a few moments, eating slower. It wasn't every day that she thought so seriously about something. Unfortunately, she seemed more hesitant than eager, some of the earlier humor fading from her features.

"Couldn't you do the same thing?" she asked, tilting her head. Some of her dark hair spilled to her side as an effect. She sat up against the wall a little straighter, propping her legs up to put her knees on her elbows. Steven scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't know if I can just lick your Gem or something," he admitted sheepishly. Just because Amethyst was so casual didn't mean he was so ready for such an odd conversation, especially when she was the majority of the topic. "Garnet said that the human-stuff was _in_ your Gem's light, right? So maybe you'd need, like, a bath. Or something."

Amethyst's eyebrow stayed elevated just a tad longer, causing Steven to put an addend to his explanation. "That'd be a lot of spit. And a little gross, too."

Some more seconds of silence passed. Amethyst hummed to herself, seemingly trying to make sense of what Steven was attempting to convey. He didn't entirely understand it himself, but he'd rather try something more thorough than just a quick slap of spit or couple of tears. Better to be safe than sorry. After a brief hesitation, Amethyst nodded.

"Yeah, spittin' would be kinda gross," she admitted, finishing what must've been her fifth slice of bread. She grasped her cup of water tentatively. "But don't you want your stuff back?"

Steven didn't consider that. He hummed himself, realizing that she _did_ technically have some of his body (at least, according to Garnet). Still, that didn't sound completely right. Surely having some of the light from Amethyst's Gem would have an effect on him after Smoky unfused. The most he could recall is the health of his foot, and that seemed more like Amethyst had taken that part rather than replaced it with her own.

"I feel fine," Steven admitted to Amethyst, shrugging. As far as he could tell, neither his hair nor his skin had changed their colors to take after her. "I don't think anything really happened to me. My body doesn't feel any…"

Abruptly, he paused, grinning. " _Lighter._ "

As expected, Amethyst groaned, shaking her head with a grudgingly amused smirk. She gave a good-natured push on Steven's shoulder. " _Boooo,_ " she drew out with a laugh. Whether she wanted to or not, she _did_ seem to find some genuine humor from him. He was glad that he could match hers. Amethyst eyed her bread for some time, then relaxed back against the bathroom wall, finishing the piece.

"Sure, we can try that," she said as she ate, a few crumbs spilling outwards. The Gem wiped the rest of the bread's crust from her mouth. A tentative sigh escaped her lips. "Dunno if it'll work, though."

An agreement was something to Steven, even if she was apprehensive to have as much hope as he did. He smiled confidently, assuring his companion that it wouldn't hurt to try. The last thing he wanted to do was nothing. Steven attempted being patient as Amethyst finished her lackluster meal, then opened his mouth to offer a better breakfast in the form of anything with actual flavor. Instead, a low grumble emanated from his stomach, halting both Gems.

Amethyst snorted, chuckling in response to Steven's embarrassed blush. After his own amused laugh, he saw Amethyst holding out a fresh slice of bread. She was really making progress on the loaf.

"Wanna piece?" she offered, still smiling. Steven looked at the bread for a moment. For some reason he couldn't quite discern, it seemed much more welcoming than a bland piece of bread had any business being. Maybe that was an effect from Amethyst. She waved the food slightly, keeping her offer standing. "If it's good enough for _me…_ "

She had a point. There was the argument that he might've been able to stomach something heavier than Amethyst could at the moment, but he honestly would rather enjoy bread with his friend than some grand meal alone. Steven took the piece gratefully, getting out an extra to hand to Amethyst. She seemed a little surprised at his eagerness to eat alongside her. Before she could move to question it, an abrupt ring halted both of them.

Curious, Steven lowered the bread from his mouth. He reached into his pants pocket, having a little difficulty since he was sitting down. As soon as his hand clasped around his phone, it ringed again, buzzing slightly. Amethyst matched his curious frown as he looked at the phone's screen. Then, she whistled an impressed tune, sitting closer to Steven to get a better look.

" _Someone's_ popular," she said, seeing the avalanche of messages filling the screen's space. Steven could've sworn he'd cleared most of them earlier. As he would've expected, a sly smirk grew across Amethyst's lips when she recognized whom most of the messages were from. Normally, Steven wouldn't pay it much mind (if only out of being used to her mischievousness), but the abrupt interruption to their atypical breakfast made him feel rude, somehow.

"It's Connie," he tried explaining, scrolling to see what the new message had consisted of. Amethyst nodded, a lot more purposeful in taking a drink of water.

"I noticed," she said simply. Steven scrolled to the two most recent texts. Not even a full minute passed in between them, both of them having been sent in the same 6:17 that his phone prominently displayed. A short "Hello?" was followed by a quick "You're not getting invaded or anything, right?"

Another message interrupted Steven's reading. "Lion's still here btw." Amethyst read alongside him, but he could see her eyeing the other messages he'd read earlier. Being so used to Amethyst made it seem far less intrusive on his privacy. Still, she didn't even attempt to hide how interested she was in what Connie had said. Steven explained his friend's worry.

"She tried talking to me yesterday," he told Amethyst, hearing an apt amount of guilt in his tone. "I kinda… forgot about my phone, though."

Amethyst continued reading his phone for a few more moments. An unrecognizable expression flashed across her features, but it didn't even last a second, so it didn't seem important enough to ask about. Then, Amethyst relaxed back onto the bathroom wall, returning to her casual tone.

"Ain't your fault," she reasoned, lifting the cup of water to her lips again. She took a short drink before holding the cup out towards Steven. "Kinda had your hands full. She'll get it."

Some of Steven's embarrassment lifted from his features. Amethyst didn't seem bothered by the minor interruption of his phone, so Steven took it as a prompt to treat it with the same triviality she had. He took the cup of water gratefully, lowering his phone back down onto his leg.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. Noting how little water was left, he decided to take a smaller sip. "She'll understand."

Amethyst took a content bite of bread, then paused, looking back at Steven. Her expression was curious enough to halt his reply to Connie just a little longer. She scratched her neck, looking much more contemplative than usual.

"Dunno if she's gonna get the whole 'human-Gem' thing, though," she said. Steven looked to her, curious about the sharp drop of enthusiasm in her tone. It'd made her seem almost reluctant. Seeing his curious gaze, Amethyst scratched the back of her neck. "I mean, she's used to Gem stuff, sure, but this whole…"

Amethyst paused again, waving a hand over her features. " _...this_ might be a little over her head. I mean, _I_ barely got half a clue, and Garnet totally laid it out for us. Kinda."

Well, Amethyst's condition might've been harder to explain to Connie. Steven placed a thoughtful hand on his chin, subconsciously taking another note of the Gem's darker hair. Combined with her skin, she could've been a completely different person. The one consistency (aside from her attire) was the deep violet Gem of her chest.

"Yeah," Steven agreed with a nod, "that might take longer to explain. But she's smart."

He had enough faith in his friend to make her own sense of it. Amethyst, though, didn't seem to match his faith, giving him a skeptical shrug. She hummed indifference, resuming what was probably her last piece of bread. Hopefully there was enough of the loaf left to make sandwiches later in the day. A thought seemed to occur to Amethyst, widening her eyes a fraction.

"She know about Smoky?" the Gem questioned, looking at Steven again. What casualness she had was replaced with some kind of apprehension, and it didn't quite look right on her features. Steven tilted his head in response to the odd question, pausing with his thumb over the "send" button of his phone.

"Of course," he answered, unsure of how Connie _wouldn't_ know of the fusion. Though he couldn't recall if the two met personally, he filled her in on any potentially interesting Gem business on a daily basis. Whatever he didn't say, she usually asked about. Steven thought that much was well-known enough. "Why wouldn't she?"

Amethyst didn't take another bite of bread, her appetite seemingly sated. Her abrupt anxiety didn't leave Steven too sure. He sent the quick reply to Connie before putting his phone back in his pocket, frowning. It was difficult to make sense of why Amethyst of all people was acting regretful.

"Fusion was kinda your guys' thing," she told him slowly. "Hate to step on your toes or somethin'."

 _That_ wasn't what Steven expected to hear. Almost immediately, he shook his head, smirking a little. Not that Amethyst would probably appreciate being called silly out loud, but he still thought her concern was a little nonsensical, especially with how long they'd known each other. Her worry seemed more earnest than paranoid. As a result, Steven gave her a reassuring grin.

"Fusion is _our_ thing," he clarified. Then he realized his poor phrasing when Amethyst froze half-way through a bite of bread she'd forced herself to take. She stared at him, skeptical.

"Mph-huse mh?" she muffled through the bread. Steven rose his hands defensively, an embarrassed blush heating his cheeks. He didn't think he could've worded his reassurance any worse. Maybe that much wasn't true, but it still felt like it.

"Not like, _us_ kind of 'our' _,_ I mean," he desperately tried recovering, sitting up on some paranoid instinct. Was the bathroom always so warm? "I just meant, like, a _Gem_ thing. Something we- Pearl, or Garnet, or you or me- do."

Another couple moments of staring passed. Steven didn't trust himself to read his friend's features all that accurately at the moment, but they seemed impossible to read regardless of his own discomfort. Still paranoid, Steven continued.

"But I don't mean, like, it _can't_ be our thing," he spoke nervously, trying to get more comfortable against the bathroom wall. The tiles he sat on felt wrong, somehow. So did the bread in his hand. "If you want it to be, that's fine, too. I'm not saying it _should_ be- but not that it _shouldn't_ be, either, but-"

Suddenly, Amethyst broke out into laughter, halting his vocal cords. Steven was a little thankful that she got him to stop speaking. For someone that considered himself more comfortable in expressing what he thought, talking was suddenly a lot harder. A feeling of obligation to clarify and simultaneously ease Amethyst hadn't helped. She finished her bite of bread as she chuckled, a mirthful grin plastered on her lips.

"I get it, Steven," she told him, nodding with her confirmation. It was a little easier to smile himself as an effect. Steven relaxed, shaking his head as Amethyst continued. She moved somewhat closer to him, leaving exactly the loaf of bread's width between them. "Just something you like sharing with her, right?"

Oddly enough, Amethyst worded it much better than he had. The occurrence seemed timely to Steven. He agreed, mentioning that she said it well. It wasn't every day Amethyst spoke so succinctly, so her taking it stride was made even more noticeable. She finished the last of the water in her cup as Steven ate the remaining bread he held.

"Thanks," he told the Gem, standing back up from the bathroom floor. He grabbed the loaf of bread as he rose. It seemed much lighter, though the majority of that was Amethyst's doing. "I appreciate it."

"Bet she appreciates it, too," Amethyst replied with a smirk as she stood up herself. Her leg didn't seem to give her a hint of trouble, meaning that her natural regeneration likely functioned fine. As pleased as Steven was, though, he didn't entirely gloss over the miscommunication Amethyst had interpreted from his gratitude. His appreciation was more to do with her ability to speak for him rather than his ability to fuse. He rose a finger to correct himself (again) then stopped at a distinct ringing noise.

Amethyst glanced at him, dusting bread-crumbs from her pants. Seeing his hesitation, she gestured towards the phone in his pocket. He shook his head in another attempt to clear it before pulling his phone out again. Instead of a punctual response from Connie, another short message from Pearl spanned the screen. "Amethyst okay?"

Like before, Amethyst had moved to Steven's side to see what the text had said. He still didn't take it as any personal attack on his privacy, since Amethyst and he were close enough anyways. The Gem rose an eyebrow, looking over her grayed arms. Steven did the same, hesitant to respond so quickly.

"Fine now," Amethyst spoke for him, stretching her back. They'd been sitting on the hard tiles so long, Steven couldn't imagine she was that comfortable right away. He knew he wasn't. His friend patted her stomach, looking much better than the state she was in when Steven first found her. She spoke confidently, blowing some of her longer bangs of hair from her face. "Bread n' water, does the trick."

Steven trusted her enough to take her word, whether or not she seemed so genuinely re-energized. Still, he was hesitant to say his friend was okay. Too much had changed since yesterday for him to assume everything was fine a second time. Humming, Steven looked back to his phone, typing out a quick response to Pearl. "She's fine now. Skin changed, was hungry."

Amethyst hummed approval, then frowned suddenly. She moved to the bathroom door's frame, placing a careful hand on the wood as she glanced into Temple. It was still dark, but a subtle glow from the sunrise brightened the living room just a tad.

"Where is P, anyways?" she asked, looking back at Steven. An irked frown brought her eyebrows together, though it seemed more due to worry than aggravation. "And Garnet? Don't tell me they're still getting those Gems."

Steven hummed a reluctant response. "'Fraid so," he told her, looking back at his phone. If he'd gotten to the temple with Amethyst at around five yesterday, that meant Pearl and Garnet had been scouring around for Gem shards for almost half a day straight. Neither of them could've been too happy at the task. At least they seemed okay for the time being, according to Pearl's ability to text Steven. He was surprised she even got service from where she was.

Another message from Pearl rang his phone. "Hungry?" was all it said. Before Steven could key any kind of explanation, another message followed, the speech bubble almost carrying Pearl's usually worried tone. "Her skin changed? What do you mean?"

After reading the questions, Amethyst scratched her chin, thinking for a moment. Steven did the same, pondering how to word exactly what happened. Answering either question would be difficult, and that was assuming that Garnet had given Pearl the same explanation Steven and Amethyst had received. The most Steven understood himself was Amethyst's condition worsening over time, and Garnet hadn't even understood that part.

"Should probably just show 'em," Amethyst casually said, turning her palms outwards in an "eh" kind of gesture. Steven agreed, thinking that would be the best way to convey what he meant. Only saying that her skin was a different color wouldn't do much to alleviate the worry Pearl probably had. He handed his phone to Amethyst, who promptly navigated to the "camera" application. She tapped the screen once before pausing.

Seeing her raise an eyebrow, Steven moved to her side, wondering what had gotten her to stop so abruptly. Then he saw the last photo he'd opened from earlier, that being the poorly framed image of himself and Amethyst sleeping on the couch. An unknown smirk spread across Amethyst's face, and she looked to Steven questioningly. He matched her grin with his own.

"I think Garnet came back to make sure I saw what Pearl said," he reasoned, absentmindedly tying the loaf of bread back up in its packaging. "She put my phone on the table, but not before taking a picture."

A minor laugh escaped Amethyst's lips. "I see that," she said with a nod, looking back at the phone's screen with a persistent smile. Steven looked alongside her, noting that it was surprisingly endearing. The proportionally large grin from Garnet gave the photo a certain charm, he thought. Given how Amethyst's gaze lingered, she seemed to think something similar.

"Not a bad pic," she granted, closing the photo to get back to the camera on Steven's phone, "but _this_ is how it's done." The Gem suddenly raised an arm behind Steven before hooking it around him, pulling him closer to her. Out of habit, Steven laughed, going with the abrupt headlock he found himself in. Her grasp was softer than usual. Now Amethyst held the phone out, giving the device a lazy smirk and sticking her tongue out in a fittingly casual expression. Steven, seeing himself on the phone's screen, smiled widely for the camera. One digital click later, his latest photo was updated.

"There ya go," Amethyst told him proudly, loosening her grip on Steven. Even if he was still worried about her condition, the usual laid-back nature of his friend wasn't lost on him. Then again, he'd have difficulty even attempting to ignore the fun ease she always seemed to possess. The Gem lowered his phone back down, looking at their shared selfie for another few moments. He didn't mind. Her pause allowed him to look at the photo himself.

A few contemplative seconds passed before Amethyst handed the phone back to Steven. In return, she reached towards the loaf of bread in his hand. He exchanged it without a word, still looking at the photo. It _was_ a fairly good picture, that was for sure. Amethyst looked surprisingly well for someone whose hair had flipped sides of the color spectrum over-night. Then Steven remembered what purpose the photo was supposed to serve, and he re-opened the brief conversation with Pearl he'd been sharing. After a few taps, the photo was sent. Hopefully that could convey enough. A hum from Amethyst attracted Steven's attention back up from his phone's screen.

"Maybe we should check up on them before hitting the fountain," she reasoned, heading towards the kitchen. Steven could see a dutiful expression settle on her features, despite the dimness of the Temple. "Y'know, make sure they ain't going crazy from looking for all those Gem shards."

After jumping onto the kitchen's counter to put the loaf back in some random cabinet (that Steven definitely wouldn't have been able to reach in the first place), she hummed thoughtfully. "Craz _ier_ , at least."

That was probably a more accurate worry. Regardless of her concern, though, Steven didn't quite stack his priorities in the same way.

"I don't know…" he tentatively reasoned back, turning off the light of the bathroom as he stepped out of it. True, it was a good idea to check up on Pearl and Garnet, but he didn't think it was the most important thing to worry about at the moment. Not that it _wasn't_ important, obviously; Amethyst's condition simply seemed a bit more pressing. Simply asking if the two Gems were alright wouldn't really suffice to either himself or Amethyst. A lot tended to get lost to the neutralizing effect of phones. Steven scratched his neck nervously. "What if something else happens to you? Like, you catch a cold, or something?"

Amethyst slapped the cabinet shut before jumping back to the floor with a loud _*thud*_. Her relatively serious expression melted into an earnest grin as she strode back to Steven, shaking a couple loose locks of hair out of her eyes.

"Then we go _straight_ to Rose's fountain," she told him confidently, putting her hands on her hips in a fittingly confident pose. Her hair had fallen back over her eye in spite of her efforts, which Steven had to think of as a little funny. "Worse comes to worst, you have my permission to give my Gem the ol' spit-shine."

A brief grin drew Steven's lips upwards. "Got it," he affirmed with a nod. As serious as Amethyst's condition was, her being so optimistic in Steven's place was something to be grateful for. His friend reciprocated his nod, stepping towards the warp-pad. Steven made a quick mental note to watch for any other odd occurrence that could potentially befall his companion. Given her lackluster breakfast, he made a special note of where the rest of the food in the kitchen was, should he need it on short notice later.

For a moment, Steven glanced outside at the distant sunrise resting on the horizon. He had to hope that it wouldn't take too long to see if Pearl and Garnet were still alright. Waiting to see if Amethyst's skin would explore other colors of the spectrum wasn't something he really wanted to do. A low whistle from Amethyst broke Steven from his thoughts, and he joined his companion on the warp-pad.

"Know where that warp-pad was?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow in mock skepticism. Right, she'd been asleep when Steven had used the warp-pad Pearl had directed him towards. Steven promptly took mock offense, giving Amethyst an overdramatized gasp. They both chuckled a little.

"'Course I do," Steven answered. With another subtle grin, he held his arms outwards, and a familiar blue light enveloped the both of them.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ooo, we're getting to the good stuff, now! I think we are, at least. Apologies if the pacing's been a bit slow so far; don't want to rush and ruin later chapters, yeah?


	6. Momentum, II

**A/N:** And once more, with _feeling!_ For the most part, if I'm taking a while to update, then I'm probably busy drawing or writing for one of my other fics, mainly _Butterflies._ At the least, you'd be safe betting on me doing _something_ vaguely artistic-like on any given day, and probably still safe on that artistic-like thing being Steven Universe related.

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _VI: Momentum, Part II_

Warping didn't take much time. Barely any more than a handful of seconds after being enveloped by the bright light of the warp-pad, the light cleared away, and a familiar heat returned to Steven's skin. The surrounding grass was even more familiar, yellowed blades waving ambiently from the breeze. Even though their location might've been a tad far off from where the Temple was, it still seemed early in the morning. The sun could barely be seen above the tall grass.

For a moment, Steven looked around, trying to find his sense of direction. Amethyst did the same, lifting a hand to her eyes in trying to block the sun's rays. Her hair still did its best to shine a defiant black. Even in the clear morning's light, her skin seemed unsaturated and grayed. Steven tried to not let that bother him too much as he did a quick scan of the sky. Then, he snapped his fingers, satisfied.

"There's the island," he pointed upwards. Amethyst followed his eyes to the distant chunk of land. From so far away, it seemed like the perfect vacationing spot. The lack of clouds in the sky added to the image. Scratching his chin for a moment, Steven looked around again. "So, they should be…"

He drew out a lengthy hum, turning purposefully. After another glance at the floating island, he pointed a finger forwards confidently. "This way."

Amethyst eyed the tall grass he indicated, probably noting how identical it was to every other direction Steven could've picked. Still, she had enough trust in his judgement to avoid doubting him. Out loud, at least.

"Ladies first," she granted, giving Steven a dramatic bow and spilling some of her hair over in the process. Steven chuckled a little. He strode past her, not offering a rebuttal as he walked off the warp-pad. In his experience, the less he could give something to tease about, the better. Hopefully Amethyst wouldn't notice his brief stumble from the change in height.

She followed after him quietly, meaning she probably didn't notice. Though the grass was dense, Steven retraced his footsteps as best as he could, trying to recall exactly what he'd seen the first time he walked through. Then he realized he didn't log what he saw in his memory. Instead, the majority of what he remembered about walking back yesterday was being worried about Amethyst.

The Gem was quiet as she followed him, probably waiting for him to speak up about something. Nothing he thought of would be very good topics of discussion, though. All that came to mind was the state of his companion. As a result, Steven didn't say much as he led the way, only glancing at Amethyst. The sight of her abnormal coloration didn't help him forget about his concern either.

"You alright?" Amethyst eventually spoke up. Her voice was surprisingly quiet for someone who joked around as much as she did. Hearing his friend's concern, Steven slowed his pace a little, stepping on the dirt underfoot a little more carefully.

"Yeah," Steven answered. _He_ was fine. It was Amethyst's current state that wasn't. Still, talking about something would probably make their walk a little more bearable. The silence yesterday was much more mandatory than today's, so Steven did what he could to disperse it. "Sorry for letting you sleep yesterday, though. I know you said not to let you."

Even without turning around, he knew Amethyst had paused for a moment. Steven turned around anyways, seeing a contemplative pout on Amethyst's features. She shrugged, waving like yesterday was far in the past.

"It's cool, Steven," she told him. Her voice had returned to the casual tone she usually held, but there was some degree of earnest sincerity that caused Steven to look back at her just a little longer. "I needed to nap. Just… didn't really want to."

Steven nodded, understanding his friend. As much of a conversation could be found in her previous reluctance, though, discussing a more serious topic probably wasn't the best idea at the time. There was already the serious topic of Amethyst's condition to worry about; a second helping of candor didn't currently feel warranted. Instead, Steven settled on trying to learn more about the former topic.

"Wonder how the whole human thing makes you tired," he asked openly, both to himself and Amethyst. He assumed there was some connection. Amethyst pondered the connection as well, humming thoughtfully while she followed his steps.

"No clue," she told him honestly. The Gem rubbed her shoulder for a moment, eyeing its discoloration. "Just felt drained, both times. Like all the energy just got smacked outta me."

Abruptly, Amethyst hummed again, getting him to turn around. A look of suspicion adorned her features.

"Don't think you stole that, did you?" she questioned, placing her hands on her hips. The action was deliberate enough for Steven to know he didn't need to take her all that seriously. However, her accusation nullified her intent, ironically enough.

"N-no," he tried defending himself. Though he was anxious about the possibility, he felt like he had little to do with how tired Amethyst was after Smoky unfused. It wasn't as though he felt an abnormal amount of energy after the fact; it was more that he felt as if he didn't use any of it. "I don't think anything happened to me from unfusing."

Amethyst's look lingered on him a tad longer before breaking apart into an amused smirk. Her hands fell from her hips, and she moved to pat his back, like she'd just introduced him to an inside joke.

"I know," she said, standing beside him. Her proximity _did_ help alleviate some of Steven's worry. The grin on her lips transformed into a curious pout as Steven continued pushing through the grass, taking a second to look back at the floating island and make sure they stayed on course.

"Kinda weird how nothing happened to you," she admitted to him, crossing her arms. "Feel like I got the short end of the stick."

Steven hummed agreement, feeling similar. He'd think that there would be some kind of symmetry of the effects Amethyst had undergone, but that didn't seem to be the case. Steven grasped a lock of his hair, pulling it in front of his eyes.

"Hair's still black," he confirmed. As the strands "bounced" back into place, Steven stepped over an out-of-place branch laying in the grass. It seemed familiar enough, so he assumed he was still on the right track. Focusing on their path allowed him to speak without much active thought.

"Maybe it's because I wasn't worried," he said openly. Maybe a bit _too_ openly. After realizing his poor time for honest thought, he abruptly stopped walking, whipping around to Amethyst. Now that he _wasn't_ focused on where he was going, actively thinking about his words was a lot more difficult. "Uh, I mean…"

A perturbed grimace forced Amethyst's eyes down for a second. She shook her head, but didn't seem as eased about her worry as she was yesterday.

"Yeah," she attempted to pass off, feigning a dismissive tone. She sighed, the breath of air itself sounding reserved. "Might'a had something to do with it."

For a brief moment, Steven considered trying to reassure her, but he didn't have much of an idea on how to go about that right then. It wasn't always the best when he made sense, and given Garnet's explanation on how Amethyst had ended up taking after his hair color, her being worried likely had a _lot_ to do with how Steven didn't suffer any effects similar to her. Not that he really wanted that to be true, if only so he could comfort his friend.

Silence returned to both Gems. It was a far cry from comfortable, both of them reminded about what led to Amethyst's current state in the first place. Steven hoped he had placated her concern yesterday, but now she seemed to be treating her worry as a separate problem than _being_ worried. Steven glanced at Amethyst's expression, trying to avoid being too overt. In one brief look, he could see a myriad of emotions on her face. The words seemed written on her features; "Just 'cause it's okay to be worried doesn't mean I wasn't."

That was beyond reading his friend, Steven found; it was as if he could hear what she was feeling. Definitely an odd occurrence, but not one he thought of talking about right away. The cross of Amethyst's arms ensured she wouldn't appreciate having her thoughts dissected at the moment. Amethyst's earlier humor had seemed like a good escape from the abnormal severity of their situation, so he did his best to shift topics himself. The situation's awkwardness forced him into repeating himself, though.

"Why are there so many floating islands, anyways?" he attempted asking Amethyst, hoping she wouldn't recall him asking Pearl yesterday. For the sake of his friend, he tried putting a bit more curiosity in his voice. Granted, he was already a little curious, and Pearl's lackluster answer didn't really suffice. Amethyst looked at him for a moment, dropping the regretful pose of her arms and glancing at the island again. Some moments of hesitation passed. Then, she shook her head, which hopefully translated to forgetting about her current predicament.

"Think the Diamonds used 'em," she answered plainly, sounding disinterested. History obviously wasn't something she was all that passionate about. Still, Steven counted the shift in focus as a good thing. Amethyst's pace picked back up to match Steven's as she spoke. "Something about height advantage or whatever. Maybe being so flippin' tall wasn't enough to look down on people."

That was a possibility. Most royalty Steven had read about tended to be the richer snobbish-type people. Blue and Yellow Diamond didn't entirely strike him as overtly superior (at least, not to any excessively defining point), but Steven reasoned a lot of time had passed since the floating islands first came about. Seeing the contemplative look on his face, Amethyst shrugged.

"Could probably ask Pearl," she casually told him. That likely meant she wasn't aware Steven already had. "She might know for sure."

After learning so much about his mother, Steven had agreed. Still, he thought it was a little odd Amethyst didn't have a certain answer.

"She never told you?" he questioned. Maybe floating islands weren't as important to people from the ground. Honestly, Steven feigned a portion of his own interest, but the sheer size of the island above them _did_ seem a little important. Especially during those old Gem War times.

Amethyst rolled her eyes, as if Steven had asked if she was short. "Of course she told me," she remarked, striding to Steven's side now that he had postponed his walk for a moment, "just never listened."

The once-violet Gem frowned suddenly. "Why? Think you missed a history lesson?"

Steven shook his head as he resumed pushing into the tall grass. "Nah," he answered simply. Telling Amethyst he just wanted to make small talk for the sake of small talk probably wouldn't be the best answer, so he passed over the fact as best as he could. "Just weird how they float for so long, though."

A brief hum from Amethyst told Steven she'd agreed. Whatever she knew about the islands evidently wasn't a substantial amount. She spoke after a brief delay, now walking next to Steven again as opposed to slightly behind him.

"Must be some of the usual magic Gem business," she attempted to explain. The Gem paused for a moment to shoo away some bugs near Steven's head. "Y'know, the usual. How d'you float?"

Swatting away some of the bugs himself, Steven thought for a moment. Explaining how his abilities worked had seemed to be a lost cause by now. "Magic" was usually enough to satisfy his curiosity, but he'd be lying if he didn't think there was more to Gems than that.

"Just kinda happens, now," he ended up answering. His explanation was as honest as it was lackluster, and judging by the disappointed raspberry from Amethyst, he guessed she understood that, too. An accompanying "boo" persuaded him to try again.

"I mean it's not really on accident." Steven glanced up at the island again, noticeably closer to the underside of it. He assumed they should've come by Pearl and Garnet by now, but just talking to his friend allowed him to be patient. "Before, it was a pain trying to do it on purpose, but now it's sorta… like walking."

That seemed to be a better answer to Amethyst. She let out an enlightened "Ah," nodding.

"Kinda like how I make my weapon," she returned. The comparison seemed apt enough. "You just kinda feel it."

"Right, like that," he confirmed. Amethyst seemed to understand him well enough, which he had to be grateful for. "Feeling is how I do most Gem stuff, really. It's like-"

Abruptly, Steven paused. Where were they again? He looked around, trying to piece together his surroundings as best as he could. Still, the constant grass forced him to use the floating island as the only real reference. He couldn't recall being that close to it when he'd been sent ahead with Amethyst the day prior. She tilted her head, curious about where Steven left off. A subtle grin broke out on her features when Steven turned around one more time for good measure.

"Lose your tail there, bud?" she joked. As glad as Steven was to hear the improvement in her once-perturbed disposition, he couldn't shake the befuddled frown from his features.

"They should be here," he told her, a degree of concern in his tone. If he was going off the floating island correctly (which he was certain he was) the the Gems _had_ to have been about where Amethyst and he were now. At the very least, they should've passed each other on the way. Amethyst crossed her arms, looking up towards the floating island like he was.

"Think they got'em already?" she offered, shaking some of the bangs from her eyes. Steven mulled over the possibility for a few seconds. The plenty of time Pearl had to round up what Gem shards she could made Amethyst's assumption plausible, but Garnet's aid being necessary put a damper on that practicality. Plus, the earlier message from Pearl meant that they were still searching for shards by then. Steven shook his head, thinking.

Curious, he reached into his pocket, pulling his phone out. It didn't seem to turn on right away; then Steven realized it was still dim to match the earlier dawn he'd woken up in back at the Temple. Returning the screen's brightness let him see the usual image of Lion he used as a screen-saver. No messages dotted the screen this time, though.

Amethyst glanced at his phone, probably seeing the same lack of correspondence that Pearl had given him. Then she moved a bit closer, squinting.

"'No service,'" she read aloud, tapping the top of Steven's phone. He followed her eyes to the top of the screen, and sure enough, a disconcerting "No Service" message displayed in the corner. That only added to his confusion.

"But Pearl's phone was working," he recalled. If she'd come back to leave a note for him earlier in the morning, then she would've left a hand-written note. Not to mention Garnet was the one that came back to leave Steven's phone in front of him.

"Weird," Amethyst voiced for the both of them. She looked around again, now taking a bit more interest in the ground surrounding them. "How many shards were there, anyways?"

Since his phone evidently wasn't going to be much of a help, Steven pocketed it again, thinking. "Pearl said at least 11," he told Amethyst, scratching his chin. "But… if Garnet had been helping her since yesterday, probably a lot more."

Amethyst nodded dutifully. "Maybe even 12," she returned with a proud smirk.

That got a laugh out of Steven, if only a minor one. "Maybe," he agreed. The only reason Steven could come up with for missing Pearl and Garnet was his sense of direction, but he was _certain_ he had walked back on the same path as before. Garnet's imposing figure would be a little hard to miss against the tall grass, too. Steven took a preparatory breath, stretching his knees somewhat.

Amethyst raised an eyebrow at him, but seemed to see what he was getting at without any verbal explanation. He was too busy focusing to offer much of one. After another brief breath, he planted his feet firmly on the soft ground, and _jumped._

With the aid of his aforementioned floating ability, Steven was able to reach a height much higher than physics usually allowed. Both the surrounding grass and his grayed friend quickly shrunk in his vision as he accelerated through the air. The rush of wind in his ears might've been cause for concern, but having enough practice by now helped calm any panic such a vertical speed might've been able to induce. After a few moments, Steven willed himself a little heavier, trying to slow down without completely restoring gravity's hold on him.

Admittedly, it took a bit more focus than Steven assumed it would, but his speed petered out in the air soon enough. He could see the expanse of grass stretch before him from a much better distance, now properly brightened since the sun had risen. Looking directly downwards let him see the dot of black hair that his friend possessed.

"How's the weather up there?" her recognizably casual tone echoed up to him. It was noticeably a few degrees colder than it was on the ground, but not to any frigid degree. The morning was warm enough where cooling off a little counted as a good thing.

"Not so bad!" Steven called back downwards. It was difficult to see if Amethyst had heard him that well, though he could worry about that later. Carefully, Steven turned himself in the air to the best of his ability, eyeing the direction he and Amethyst had first come from. Discerning the slightly barer patch of grass wasn't the easiest task. He found the warp-pad's location eventually, and he promptly raised a hand to his eyes to block the sun's rays.

Still, he couldn't find anyone other than Amethyst in the savanna. No tall figures of Garnet or Pearl stood out against the grassy landscape. Steven looked back upwards at the floating island to confirm where he was, and became a little surprised by how close he was to it. There was still a football-field or two's distance between him and the underside of dirt, but he'd expected around four or five fields' worth.

An abrupt ring shook Steven out of contemplating his altitude. Instinctively, he reached into the pocket of his jeans again, though previous experiences with being so high up in the air made him use _both_ hands to grasp his phone. His eyebrows elevated when he saw the copious messages from Pearl on the screen. The first one he recognized read "Very strange. Taking care of her?"

Pearl must've been replying to the picture Amethyst had taken and sent earlier. The majority of the other messages were varying degrees of the word "Steven?" increasing in severity, probably due to Steven's inability to respond. That part made sense; what was difficult to figure out was why he was receiving all of Pearl's texts at once. Then he noticed that a couple bars had replaced the "No Service" icon his phone previously displayed.

Just like that, the odd frequency of messages made sense to Steven. Jumping high enough into the air must've cleared a sufficient distance to use his phone. While he still had the bars, he typed out a quick response to Pearl. "Yeah, see you in a second."

Steven resumed eyeing the path he and Amethyst had taken just in case, linking the warp-pad to his companion. Carefully, he willed himself a little heavier, still looking at the path as he descended. There _definitely_ wasn't anyone else around, and now he had an idea as to why.

About a dozen seconds later, Steven returned to the ground below him, landing softly on the grass while he put his phone back into his pocket. Amethyst had taken to sitting on the ground as she waited for him to come back to Earth. She seemed a little bored, looking around absentmindedly.

"They're not here," Steven relayed to his companion. Upon hearing him, she visibly perked her head up with a burst of energy. Then she seemed to understand what he said. She placed a hand on the ground beside her, standing up and tilting her head in curiosity.

"Figured that," she answered honestly. The Gem crossed her arms, glancing at Steven's pocket for a moment. If he had to guess, he assumed Amethyst must've seen him use his phone. "Got an idea where they _are,_ though? This place is gettin' kinda hot."

Steven nodded in response. Wordlessly, he rose a hand to his side, pointing upwards. Both Gems looked to the floating island above them. Amethyst let out a groan at the inconvenience, which Steven somewhat expected.

"There must be more Gem shards on the island," he reasoned. There was a good chance that the Gems that went after Pearl yesterday weren't the only ones. The populace on the island also explained why Pearl and Garnet were taking so long to finish collecting the shards. Amethyst seemed able to tell, mentioning that Steven had to be right. She wasn't that happy at the fact, though.

"So we heading back to the warp pad?" she asked, sounding impatient. Steven considered mentioning that she was the one that wanted to check on Pearl and Garnet, but decided against it. After a moment's thought, he looked back at the mass of dirt hanging above them.

"Guess so," he quietly answered. Still, his look lingered on the land-mass. "Could you helicopter us up there?"

Apparently, Amethyst didn't consider that. The notion seemed foreign to her, judging by the abrupt shake of her head. Then she dampered her surprise with a laid-back roll of her eyes.

"Maybe," she admitted. Her tone was too dismissive for Steven to pass it off as normal. "Don't… really want to risk it, though. Y'know, with all that's been happening."

The expression on Amethyst's features didn't match her voice all that much. Almost guilty. It was such an odd sight that Steven didn't push her, instead giving an understanding nod. She seemed to appreciate it. Then she returned to the contemplation she had earlier, eyeing the grass they'd walked through. To rid whatever doubts she might've still had, Steven spoke up.

"I can carry you if you don't want to walk," he offered. The less that could agitate his friend's condition, the better. Ironically enough, Amethyst seemed surprised by how easily he proposed his service. It took another few seconds for her to realize the offer's authenticity.

"Thanks," she waved off, "but I'm good." The Gem returned her gaze back to the floating island once again, then cleared her throat. "Appreciate it, though."

Steven shrugged. In all honesty, easing any physical strain from Amethyst would quiet some of his own doubts, but the effect was minor enough that he wouldn't lose sleep over it. Assuming that Amethyst's condition wouldn't worsen any further, at least. The Gem attracted his attention with a hum. The look on her face was anything if not suspicious, though Steven didn't get any sense of ill-intent.

"Bet you 10 bucks _you_ can get us up there," she said, a smug smirk raising the edge of her lips. Her arms crossed in a matchingly smug manner. Steven raised a skeptical eyebrow, scratching his chin.

"That's a long way, Amethyst," he told her honestly. True, he had jumped higher than he initially thought he would be able to the first time, but clearing the rest of the distance to the floating island would probably need a lot more effort. More than Steven thought he could accomplish. Plus, as used as he was to timing and using his floating ability, he could never rid himself of the fear of over-shooting and ending up somewhere in deep orbit.

"15," Amethyst pushed, now looking excited. With her hair closely resembling a dark black instead of the silver most elderly people possessed, the grin on her features made her look younger. It was such an oddly interesting sight that Steven considered her wager again. She spoke excitedly, as if she _was_ a younger person goading a friend into one of their weird-but-amusing talents. "C'mon, bet that first jump was a bunny hop to you."

Something about his friend's smile was pleasing enough for Steven to be convinced. He chuckled, glad that her usually enjoyable nature was ultimately unaffected by her current condition.

"Alright," he agreed. Shaking his head, he gave Amethyst a falsely begrudging shrug, even sighing to add to the effect. "I'm still going to have to carry you, though."

"Deal," Amethyst conceded. Now she seemed _eager_ to take Steven's offer. Only a second after Steven bent his knees downwards, Amethyst hopped onto his back. The motion was so quick that Steven almost wasn't ready for the sudden weight of his companion. He staggered for a moment, but righted himself soon enough. Amethyst didn't appear to notice. She was surprisingly purposeful in making sure the charcoal of her hair didn't obscure Steven's vision.

Briefly, Steven paused, craning his neck slightly to get a better look at Amethyst's features. The excited expression on her face momentarily changed to one of curiosity. She raised an eyebrow in silence.

"Well?" she eventually asked. According to the genuine confusion on her features, she didn't seem to make a note of how exactly close she was. Then Steven remembered that was a prerequisite to being carried by someone. Why would he make a special note of it, then?

Shaking his head, Steven looked back up at the island determinedly. Amethyst interpreted that as him shrugging off whatever got him to pause, and settled back onto… well, his back. He didn't try to make that much a note of it this time. Steven took a few careful steps away from the island, hoping to position himself as best as he could. If he _could_ jump that high, then Amethyst probably wouldn't appreciate face-planting into the underside of it.

"Ready?" he questioned her. After tightening her grip a tad (which Steven definitely didn't notice), she gave an affirmative hum, eyeing the floating island alongside Steven. He tightened his own grasp on her, and took a deep breath. Then, with a grunt of exertion, he launched himself from the ground as hard as he could.

Somehow, the first thing Steven noticed was Amethyst's arms tightening around him once more, not the abrupt rush of air on his face. That seemed to work to benefit his floating ability as opposed to its detriment, judging by how fast the grass they'd left had shrunk in his vision. The speed was _definitely_ more impressive than that of his first jump. Having a goal in mind on top of carrying his companion probably helped. While he kept his eyes on the island, he could feel Amethyst begin to loosen her muscles a fraction. Still, he made sure she was secure on his back.

They ascended in an awed kind of quiet for some time, not showing any signs of slowing down while the island drew closer. Briefly, Steven let himself glance at Amethyst. Her expression was difficult to discern underneath the turbulence of her hair, but it was even more difficult to mistake the excitement on her features. It was honestly a little pleasant to look at. Even though Amethyst routinely flew through the air from shape-shifting, getting such a dramatic view of the morning savanna was something she evidently appreciated. Subsequently, Steven appreciated her bet to jump towards the island, if only for getting her to smile so widely.

Then Steven remembered that he was supposed to land somewhere. Just after recalling to watch his height, a mass of dirt and greenery completely shot past his vision. The blur of the island was almost invisible, he'd been so caught up in his friend's expression. Immediately, Steven willed gravity back onto himself, not bothering to look at where in the air they'd end up. A whiplash of weight on his back incited him to tighten his grasp again, hoping that the sudden jerk in the air wasn't too bad on Amethyst.

Another couple of seconds passed when Steven saw the island underneath him slowly grow closer. The sight reminded him that gravity was still something to respect, and he tried to stop in the air again. Now that they'd lost all their upwards momentum, halting was a much easier process. At least, it should've been. Having Amethyst grip him so tightly made Steven jerk a little more in the air than he intended to. Finally, he halted in the air, still miraculously upright. The only thing that delayed his voice was the embarrassment from using his floating ability so haphazardly. He usually wasn't _that_ bad.

"Still good?" he asked Amethyst. She'd buried her face into Steven's shoulder, so gauging her expression wasn't all that easy at the moment. All Steven could see was the mass of her blackened hair, messier than ever from the wind. Her grasp was so tight that Steven expected a panicked reprimanding on his poor air control. Still embarrassed, he offered a preemptive apology. "Uh, sorry. I kinda messed-"

"That was _awesome!_ " Amethyst interrupted him, bursting out into excited laughter. Steven couldn't tell what her laughing was really directed at, or even why she _was_ laughing. Her grasp shifted a little; not necessarily tightening, but she did move her arms into a position associated more with hugging than gripping. His companion leaned around his side, looking at him directly. "Can we do that again? Puh- _leeze?_ "

Uncertain, Steven laughed a little himself. She definitely found more excitement in rocketing through the air than she did on some lazy flight as a bird. It was something else Steven appreciated about her, honestly. Plus, it probably meant that she failed to notice his ineptitude with floating.

"Didn't you want to check on Pearl and Garnet?" he reminded his friend, feeling his grin mimic hers. She paused for a moment, then recalled why they had warped back to the savanna in the first place. The Gem shook her head, forcibly clearing her throat.

"Right, them, yeah," she waved off, now trying to revert to a serious tone. Amethyst was probably the last person on Earth Steven could attribute any serious qualities to, and the Gem's comparatively younger appearance did little to help her case. The addend to her words had a similar effect. "But we _have_ to do that again sometime. I'll even pay ya another 15."

Chuckling, Steven agreed, though mentioned that he didn't really need the money. Amethyst had made the simple act of jumping enjoyable enough without any fee. The two Gems looked back to the island, making a note of the distance between them and the landmass. Since Steven had been paranoid about smacking right into the island's underside (a paranoia he found justified) there was a bit of empty space between their current position in the air and the side of grass at the island's edge. Lowering further to match altitudes helped close the gap, but not completely.

"Can you get us closer?" Steven asked his friend, glancing at some of the closer trees dotting the island. Amethyst eyed them in a similar manner. Steven didn't have much control on where he was going when he suspended himself in the air, so hopefully Amethyst would have some way to move them across the few yards between them and the island. She hummed, sounding satisfied.

"I got this," she confirmed. For a moment, she loosened her grasp on Steven, who subsequently tightened his own. He could feel her lean away from him, as if she was trying to fall off. Thank goodness, she _didn't_ , but Steven still panicked somewhat. Amethyst's weight stayed behind him for a few seconds. She didn't seem to move, like she was waiting for something to happen. A few more seconds passed.

"Uh, Amethyst?" Steven eventually asked. He'd assumed that "I got this" translated to Amethyst being able to do something now that they were so close to the island. Not much happened to support his assumption, though. Cautiously, he tilted his head to the side, glancing at Amethyst's features. She was staring down at her Gem, wide-eyed. It was a far cry from the enjoyably excited expression she had before.

Unsure of the change in his friend's demeanor, Steven cleared his throat. Amethyst's eyes shot to his in just the same second. Some kind of embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks. It wasn't a usual violet, probably due to the change in her skin tone. More magenta-like in hue. Before Steven could question what Amethyst's pause was for, her eyes grew even wider, which was a substantial feat.

"Bird thing!" was the only explanation Steven was given. That didn't exactly clear his confusion. Just as Steven opened his mouth, some frenzied caw in front of him attracted his gaze back forward. He looked back at the island just in time to see a blur of blue fly from the trees. The sight was so unrecognizable that Steven felt his battle-instincts involuntarily kick in. That promptly replaced his floating-instincts without accomplishing much else, since his arms were currently occupied.

Instantly, Steven felt the pull of gravity bring him lower in the air. The next couple of seconds blurred together; whatever had flown from the island grew closer, but the abrupt downwards momentum Steven felt kept its path off of his and Amethyst's. A familiar droning noise emanated from Amethyst, and she suddenly jerked forwards on Steven's back, throwing something out towards the island. Her own motion combined with their free-fall to create a disconcerting lack of contact between herself and Steven.

Using what instincts he could, the young Gem turned as rapidly as was able to in the air, only concerned with making sure he still had a secure hold on Amethyst when he threw his arms towards hers. Amethyst did the same with one of her arms, the other holding tight to the grip of her whip. All Steven could recognize at the moment was their shared grasp. After securing their hold on each other, Amethyst yanked on her whip, still holding tight to Steven (and vice versa). The taut pull of the cord reminded Steven he could lighten the load, and he tried resuming his floating to the best of his ability. This resulted in both Gems flinging themselves towards the island much harder than either anticipated.

Steven continued holding tight to Amethyst while they cleared the island's threshold, not once even considering if his grasp was a little _too_ tight. According to the grip on his own arm, Amethyst thought similarly. They tumbled into green and foliage, the haphazard functionality of Steven's ability to float causing a sporadic path through the trees. At some point during their unceremonious landing, Steven found the grip on Amethyst's arms loosen before he clamped back around her body, shutting his eyes in a brace. In that same second, some warmth reverberated from her skin and into his arms. The heat was barely discernible among the impacts of dirt and wood. All that prevented Steven from glossing over it entirely was his focus on Amethyst.

Despite bumping around a fair amount, Steven was unable to feel any of the sharp stings he would've associated with whacking into tree branches and bushes. They _did_ hit more than a few, judging by the _*snaps*_ and _*cracks*_ of wood breaking. It took a fair amount of time and bumping, but eventually, the Gems' speeds slowed down enough for Steven to recognize that they'd come to a grounded (more or less) halt. Still, he was hesitant to open his eyes, deciding to maintain his grasp on Amethyst for a little while longer. That unrecognizable warmth from her lingered on for a couple seconds before gradually fading away.

Amethyst didn't move for the duration of Steven's embrace. A pressured hold around him likely translated to her reciprocating his panicked grasp, and the added weight of her being directly on top of him did little to allow him to move. His head was far too buried into her shoulder to tell much of anything. Carefully, the young Gem opened one eye and leaned his head back onto the flattened earth he lay on. The first thing he noticed was Amethyst's braced expression, her features matching her hold on Steven perfectly.

"Are you alright?" Steven asked. It wasn't the most original inquiry, but it was still the most important to him. He relaxed his arms slowly, loosening to let Amethyst move a bit more. Her muscles took a little longer to relax. Eventually, she opened her eye, looking around for a few moments. The blue of her iris froze when it landed on Steven's concerned gaze.

"I'm good," she hesitantly let out, looking Steven up and down. "You?"

If he wasn't busy looking Amethyst up and down, Steven would've copied her answer with his nod. Shade from the surrounding trees made it hard for him to look over his friend. Amethyst sat up slowly, still eyeing Steven cautiously while he eyed her. Aside from the usual sores that accompanied such a rough landing, he didn't feel much damage himself. None that could've been permanent, at least. The most noticeable thing was Amethyst's weight as she sat on top of him, and that had become a white-noise amidst everything else.

After another quick assessment, Amethyst breathed out a relieved sigh, shaking her head as her tense posture melted away. She briefly slouched back onto Steven before rolling off of him to the side. Both Gems lay on their back, letting their adrenaline fade in tandem with their worry. Steven could only guess at which took longer to clear away.

"Okay, maybe-" Amethyst began, shaking her head. An inexplicable grin fell on her features underneath her mess of hair. "-maybe I should'a just helicoptered us up here."

That was an understatement. With a persistently concerned grimace, Steven continued looking over Amethyst. Their spot on the ground now was definitely darker than the direct sun they walked in earlier, but no wound or mark of impact really stood out on Amethyst's skin.

"I think I trust the warp-pad more," Steven admitted, breathing his own sigh of relief. Amethyst chuckled in response. She gave a brief slug on Steven's shoulder, shaking her head again.

"Fair," she granted. Her mouth opened for some addition to her reply, but she stopped short upon looking upwards. Curious, Steven followed her eyes to the trees around them. They were _much_ darker, actually. Then Steven realized he'd been looking through a filter.

"Nice call," Amethyst whistled, sitting up on the floor of their shared bubble. Steven looked at the barrier alongside her. That must've been what prevented the usual lashes of branches against them, but Steven couldn't recall putting his bubble into existence. In all honesty, he had been more concerned with protecting Amethyst with his body at the time; protecting his own body was an extension of thought he didn't consider. The shade of the trees seemed to darken the normally pinkish tint of his bubble.

Still curious, Steven sat up from the ground. Amethyst seemed able to read his expression, raising an eyebrow. He'd gotten such a purposeful control over his abilities by now that creating the bubble on instinct didn't feel correct, somehow. Steven strode to the side of it, placing a hand on its glassy surface. At least, Steven assumed it would've been glassy, based on past experiences with the bubble. Now it felt rough on his palm, almost jagged. Behind him, Amethyst stood from the ground herself, walking next to him. No reflection on the bubble's surface was offered, but he could still feel the curiosity in her features.

"What's up?" she asked, probably trying to keep her question general on account of Steven's silence. Amethyst stepped up beside him, glancing at the bubble like he was. After seeing the comparatively darker tint of the barrier, she placed a curious hand on its surface, just to the left of Steven's own hand. The moment Steven thought to tell her about how odd the bubble was this time around, it dissipated. Even that was different, the barrier seemingly peeling itself away into nothingness over a half-dozen seconds. The usual light of the morning flooded their now-empty space in the island's foliage.

Steven looked towards Amethyst, unsure of what he should've said. Most that came to mind were questions she probably didn't have answers for. Amethyst acknowledged his odd gaze with a tilt of her head, raising an eyebrow. She seemed to create a few of her own unanswerable questions as Steven looked at her features. Her skin had regained its color, but not the usual lavender she had before. A reddened sort of chestnut dominated her arms and face, almost like Garnet's color if it wasn't so saturated. On top of that, some undefinable marks on her expression kept Steven from saying anything a tad longer.

Though half of her face was covered by the black of her hair, the cheek he _could_ see had become… spotted, in a way. The pattern was subtle; a little shade would hide them rather well, but in the rays of direct sunlight they now had, discerning the comparatively darker dots was a much easier task. Steven stared at the change in his friend, unable to say much. It was Amethyst clearing her throat that jolted him into action.

Without so much as a word, Steven reached into his pocket, his eyes glued to Amethyst the entire time. He grabbed his phone before holding it out purposefully. A few hesitant seconds later, Amethyst grasped the device, probably a little off-put about Steven's silence. Even without saying anything, she seemed able to tell what he was getting at. The Gem looked at the phone's reflection for a few moments. Then, she lowered the phone, looking at her arm directly in the day's broad sunlight. She turned it over a few times. Her expression was surprisingly calm, only a minor grimace on her features.

"Least it ain't _gray,_ " she remarked. One of her hands rose to her face before purposefully pulling her cheek away to get a better view of it. The spots on her face were only made more prominent as an effect. After another moment's hesitation, Amethyst handed his phone back to him. He let out an awed "Uh," as he pocketed his phone back into his jeans. Both Gems were quiet, each with varying degrees of concern. Aside from the _second_ change in her skin, Amethyst appeared just as normal (her hair notwithstanding) as she usually did. No fatigued expression or pale complexion evidenced any deeper effects from her condition. Eventually, Amethyst cleared her throat.

"Should go and find P and G, now," she said, a forced seriousness in her voice. The only alternative tone was the mountain of curiosity Steven shared with her, and that wasn't really productive at the moment. Instead, Steven decided to follow after her lead, shaking his head and forgetting about the recent oddities for the moment. Unfortunately, he had the feeling Garnet would be less knowledgeable about those.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ohhh man we're SO DARN CLOSE to the real good stuff now! It's gonna be pretty fly, ya dig? Hope to see ya around, my dude/dudet/gender-appropriate-application-of-the-term-dude!


	7. Momentum, III

**A/N:** Chapter seven, here it is! College is fun. I like having things to do now. Only problem is there's too _many_ things to do. Ah well, c'est la vie.

Hope you like this!

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _VII: Momentum, Part III_

The floating island was quieter than Steven remembered. A portion of that was his doing, though. He walked through the dense jungle in silence for a short while, Amethyst matching his quiet the entire time. He could have reasoned their refusal to speak was so that they could hear any sign of the others, but that wasn't entirely true. Moreover, being silent was mainly out of not wanting to discuss what was on his mind. Mentioning the change in Amethyst's skin felt like it would solidify the fact as too permanent. Even talking about the dots on her face didn't feel right.

Then, just as he thought to shrug off his concerns with one of his usual optimistic phrases, the brush of green ahead had rustled. Some kind of panic forced Steven's arm outwards in front of Amethyst. It was less to get her to halt and more to be ahead of her, which was hopefully difficult to tell. Amethyst's questioning expression didn't leave many doubts that she _did_ notice.

"Pearl?" she hesitantly tried. She took a step forward, though Steven's arm was still in front of her. There was a good chance another oddity lay behind the leaves, judging by the bird that forced them into such a rough landing onto the island. Out of the corner of his eye, Steven could see Amethyst give him a skeptical eyebrow-raise. He lowered his arm, though not without another hesitation.

The greenery shuffled again, and a second later, a familiar looking spear cleaved through. After moving a couple leaves aside, the clearing separated enough to reveal the recognizably pale complexion of their companion. Steven finally released his breath, shaking his head.

"There ya are," Amethyst said as a kind of greetings. A noticeable delay passed. Then, Pearl stepped through the leaves cautiously, her other hand also occupied with something. Her bright attire stood out well against the warm colors of the jungle. The Gem visibly recoiled when she finally made eye-contact with Steven. He gave a small wave.

"Steven?" she let out, obviously confused by his presence. Her eyes moved to Amethyst, promptly widening out of sheer befuddlement. She shook her head on some skeptical instinct. "Amethyst? What-"

Somehow, the Gem's posture grew even stiffer, and she looked Amethyst up and down incredulously. Steven could see the exact moment she noticed the new color Amethyst's skin had gained. "What happened to you?"

Her being more worried about the state of Amethyst than being in front of her felt appropriate to Steven, if only because he agreed with her priorities. Amethyst didn't seem to award as much severity to the change in her color, looking over her arms with a bored expression. The Gem shrugged as she took a few steps towards a nearby tree, leaning on it lazily.

"Nothin' too crazy," she remarked, crossing her arms. On the outside it seemed like a basic enough change, but Steven had a suspicion that there was more to the alteration than she was letting on. Maybe that was paranoia, but understanding that much didn't alleviate it. Amethyst moved some of the dark hair from her face, ignoring the slightly reddened hue her skin possessed. "Got some color to me now, so that's something."

Amethyst didn't expand on what (if anything) was happening to her. Mentioning the oddity of her subtle freckles somehow felt important to Steven, though he kept quiet, allowing Amethyst to return Pearl's question with one of her own.

"What about you n' G?" the Gem asked, nodding towards Pearl. Her posture still wasn't all that relaxed. "Pullin' off an all-nighter okay?"

Pearl's expression relaxed. She let go of her spear, disenchanting it into sparkles to wipe her brow. Still, she held onto the orb in her other hand. Leaning a little closer, Steven saw it was one of her pale bubbles, almost filled to the brim with colorful stones of every shape and size.

"I wouldn't say 'okay'," the tall Gem answered honestly. Despite the clear sunlight of the day streaming through the trees far above, Pearl seemed even paler than usual. Her skin was borderline translucent from fatigue. "This island is… strange, to say the least. It's as though it has its own Gem-based ecosystem."

"'Strange,' I believe," Amethyst granted, rolling her eyes. Pearl tilted her head in curiosity. For a brief moment, Amethyst glanced at Steven, eyeing him like she was waiting for him to explain. Being a bit too preoccupied in his thoughts prevented him from speaking for a tad longer than usual, creating an awkward pause of silence. Eventually, Amethyst sensed his unease, though couldn't seem to place it.

"Saw a weird bird when we got up here." Amethyst removed herself from the tree she stood against, taking a slow step towards Steven. Her expression was on his the entire time, which translated to her attempt to read him. He promptly turned away.

"What do you mean, Pearl?" Steven asked. Even he could hear how purposefully conspicuous his tone was. Pearl answered before Amethyst got the chance to ask what was on Steven's mind, ultimately forcing her to forget about it. Still, the odd determination on her features didn't leave Steven too sure.

"Garnet and I have found a staggering amount of Gems," Pearl explained, sounding usually dramatic. With her being so obviously weathered, her voice seemed much more credible. The surrounding heights of trees and foliage around them helped. "But not all of them can really be called that. Some hybrid of wildlife and Gem."

That was an oddity enough to accrue some of Amethyst's attention. She finally broke from Steven's gaze, raising an eyebrow. To say Steven was relieved wouldn't tell the whole story.

"Some weird _Bambi_ twist or something?" she asked. Pearl hesitated before attempting to explain the situation further.

"Not quite." The tall Gem brought the bubble in her palm to her front, "holding" it with both hands. Both Steven and his companion took a step closer, inspecting the Gems inside. There was more than the usual inconsistencies between each Gem; every one of them could've been from a different planet. Some were red, others blue, some round, others sharp, and every different kind of shape inbetween. Pearl observed the bubble's contents alongside the others, speaking slowly like she was afraid to be wrong. "Gem 'offspring' are essentially extensions of a parent Gem. They're created similarly to how we make our clothes or weapons."

That much was understood before, but Amethyst seemed surprised by the news. A troubled grimace settled on her features as she hummed acknowledgement, and she looked down towards the violet Gem in her chest. Pearl didn't seem to notice as much, talking further, but Steven found the sudden trouble impossible to ignore. Most things about Amethyst felt that way at the moment.

"That's why they dissipate when the parent Gem's body is destroyed," Pearl continued. She shook her head, her grimace intensifying for a brief moment. "But these ones have their own Gems. Some have dissipated already, and others still maintain their form."

Steven nodded mostly out of instinct, still watching Amethyst. He had enough experience to know when something was bothering her, and enough sense to assume it was something to do with her Gem. Being bothered himself, though, Steven wasn't immediately ready to mention how troubled Amethyst appeared. She continued staring at her Gem for a couple more seconds, eventually returning to the explanation Pearl was giving.

"Wouldn't that mean the thing we bagged yesterday ain't the mom for all of 'em?" she asked, crossing her arms like she was attempting to cover her Gem. Steven followed after her example and turned his attention back to Pearl. He also made a note to ask about Amethyst's Gem later.

"Normally, I'd think so," Pearl answered. She lifted the bubble just a tad higher, emphasizing the slew of stones that it contained. "The Gems that haven't lost their forms seem…inert, though. Garnet is convinced there's some connection, and given how most of them dissipated around the same time Steven had captured the mother, it's not a stretch."

Amethyst shrugged dismissively. "Eh," she granted. "Long as there isn't another mom." Pearl hummed agreement, looking up from the bubble she held. After a brief glance at Steven, she moved her eyes back to Amethyst.

"Garnet should be able to tell you more," she admitted, lowering her bubble back down. A usual degree of maternal concern returned to her eyes. "But, Amethyst… you're certain you're fine? Steven had mentioned you were 'hungry' earlier."

The short Gem shrugged again, rolling her eyes like Pearl had asked if she had napped at all recently. Everything about the motion was as normal as Steven could've expected from Amethyst, and yet the black of her hair combined with her freckles ensured a completely alien effect instead. She certainly felt different to Steven, somehow. More… sincere. Maybe he was reading too much into what she looked like, but the impression seemed authentic enough.

"I'm doing ace, P," Amethyst assured the Gem. "Thanks fer' asking." Pearl visibly relaxed at the confirmation, similar to how Steven found a little comfort in his assumption of her character being justified. Unfortunately, it was still difficult to take her words.

A few moments passed as Steven contemplated Amethyst's self-assessment. His own assessment of her had a few contradictions with what she called "ace", resulting in a worried pout. Amethyst eventually caught his gaze. After clearing her throat, she spoke again, sounding a little more honest. "Little tired, but that's par for the course by now."

Abruptly, Amethyst moved to Steven's side before giving him a confident pat on the back. She was remarkably good at hiding how bothered she was a few moments ago. If it wasn't for Steven knowing her so well (now more than ever) then he would've thought he'd imagined her earlier discontent. Having his own discontent didn't let him forget it, though. Amethyst's voice grew more earnest as she spoke. "This guy's been taking care of me. He makes a good babysitter."

Even Pearl let out a few chuckles before Steven could. Not that he wanted to force it. Unfortunately, Amethyst could notice his lack of optimism, inspecting his face a little more intently as Pearl waved off the unsurprising fact of Steven being an effective caretaker.

"That's a relief," she breathed out. Pearl straightened her back, seemingly invigorated, and drew her spear once again over the next few seconds. "Hopefully any further…'changes' of yours remain superficial."

Still Amethyst eyed Steven, probably a little intrigued by how much difficulty he found in matching her smile. She stepped a tad closer, her footfalls surprisingly audible on the soft dirt underfoot. Stepping away would've been a bit too noticeable, though Steven still looked to the side as subtly as he could. Amethyst promptly leaned around him, forcing him into eye-contact.

" _You doin' alright?"_ her features seemed to ask. All Amethyst had actually said was an offhand "Yeah," of agreement towards Pearl, and yet Steven could've sworn he heard a different message from her. In that sincere tone she'd recently gained, too." _What's wrong?"_

Abruptly, Steven shook his head, too put off to even act casual.

"I'm gonna go help Garnet," he announced, sounding more directed at himself than the others. Amethyst appeared surprised by his declaration. A second later, Steven continued out of sheer paranoia, taking a couple steps towards the direction Pearl had come from. "We'll get the rest of the Gems faster if everyone pitches in."

Pearl nodded, even smiling in pride from Steven's initiative. "Good idea," she said, looking to the bush she was surveying earlier. The tall Gem motioned behind her with her spear, saying, "Garnet should be that way. Don't get lost."

Amethyst was hesitant to say anything. Then, she hummed herself, though the noise sounded torn between agreement and disapproval. Steven didn't pay enough attention to be certain, purposefully striding past her and following the point of Pearl's weapon. Then, the short Gem began following him. She got about two steps in before Steven rose a cautionary hand, stopping her abruptly. Whatever his intended message was, Amethyst didn't seem to expect it.

"I can help her," he told his companion. The combination of surprise and suspicion on her features made speaking a whole lot more difficult, though he just barely accomplished as much after an awkward pause. Pearl turned, hearing the silence and lowering her spear for a moment. "You should stay and help Pearl."

Amethyst's obvious befuddlement didn't clear. It wasn't that Steven wanted to actively create distance between himself and her; just that she probably wouldn't want to discuss what he desperately needed to. Getting her to understand with Pearl in earshot didn't feel practical, either. Of course, Amethyst returned to her usual stubbornness, either out of her usual character or some continued concern for Steven. He had a feeling it was the latter.

"C'mon, this borin' bird?" she joked, pulling her lips up in a casual grin. Amethyst at least appeared to understand Steven didn't want to have another empathic session of candor right away. Pearl rolled her eyes, unamused by the title Amethyst had so graciously given. "Why don't you n' me team up? Could even be a little fun between the two of us."

Steven hadn't considered that argument. As much logic could be found in her proposal, though, his conviction didn't waver. However, he also didn't have much of an idea on what to say back. Amethyst rose an eyebrow while he thought in silence. For a fraction of a second, Steven looked to Pearl for help. The awkwardness of the delay before she spoke up was palpable.

"I _could_ use your help, Amethyst," she abruptly told her, now sounding weathered like before. It wasn't exactly the best acting performance Steven had seen, but it did enough to grab Amethyst's attention. Pearl went so far as to lean against a nearby tree out of mock fatigue, using her spear like a cane or walking stick. "The grass can hide Gems a little too well, and they're…low to the ground…?"

With Amethyst knowing Pearl as long as she did, it was obvious she wasn't that convinced. She glanced at the tall Gem skeptically, then looked back to Steven. His heart dropped into his stomach at the sliver of hurt on her features, Amethyst obviously unable to understand Steven's intentions. The subtle freckles on her cheeks didn't help. A couple more seconds of silence passed as Amethyst eyed Steven. Then the Gem sighed, shaking her head.

"'Cause I'm short," she breathed out. She might as well have apologized for a murder she didn't commit for all the remorse Steven felt from her tone. It'd almost moved Steven to apologize himself, but she turned around before he could. "Low blow, P. Fine, whatever."

Steven watched in silence as Amethyst moved to Pearl's side, noticeably less enthusiastic about staying with her as opposed to Steven. He might've been flattered by the favoritism if he wasn't so guilty about denying it. Too much was on his mind to drag Amethyst into it, though, especially when she was the main cause _for_ his concern. Just as he returned to the direction Pearl had clarified for him, Amethyst threw a defiant hand in the air behind her.

"Be back soon, though, alright?" She tossed the words behind her, though they sounded incredibly earnest for someone as usually comical as her. That sincerity of hers seemed pleasantly persistent. Steven paused for a moment, listening as his foot hovered an inch from the thick brush he was about to move into. "I prefer your mothering to Pearl's."

Again, Pearl didn't seem that amused by her comparison. The portion of her expression that wasn't shrugging off Amethyst's compliment appeared intrigued _by_ the compliment. Steven let the words sink in himself, still pausing in front of the thicker portion of the jungle he had yet to traverse.

"Okay," was all he could say back. He found his eyes lingering on the black hair of his friend. Amethyst didn't even wait for a direction from Pearl, moving past her and forcing the tall Gem to follow into the low-hanging leaves. The last thing Steven had heard was Pearl stressing that there couldn't have been that many Gems left on the island.

* * *

Steven strode through the grass and trees in silence for a short while. While he probably should've been paying more attention to the direction he was headed or even be on the search for Gems, his mind was far too cluttered to have much room for the jungle around him. He didn't want to just leave Amethyst with Pearl (with no offense to the Gem). Her proposal to team up with him was honestly tempting, if only to keep an eye on her. Unfortunately, being with only her would've cluttered his mind even more.

Her hair moving to a black not dissimilar to his was weird, but it didn't seem too severe. The first change in her skin wasn't that upsetting at the time; it was her being hungry that put Steven on edge. That had been dealt with, though, and given how something as simple as some bread and water revitalized Amethyst, he had to reason she wasn't too terribly afflicted by that much. Even Amethyst being so repeatedly tired after unfusing now felt easily dealt with. It was the _second_ change in Amethyst's skin that really let it sink in for Steven.

Without a doubt, Amethyst was becoming just like him. Not in how she acted, though Steven would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed how much more earnest she was being in his presence, but in… what she was, he supposed. An odd combination of both human _and_ Gem. No longer being the only weird hybrid probably should've felt comforting to Steven. And, in a sense, it did make him feel a little less "special", which he counted as a good thing considering someone as close as Amethyst had granted that much.

But it was _Amethyst_ that had become just like him. No longer being the only one of his kind was one thing, but forcing that humanity onto one of his closest friends was a different degree of guilt entirely. Sure, Amethyst had doubts that _she_ was the one that had incited such an odd change by causing Smoky to unfuse so hastily, but Steven was the one that even had that human-ness in the first place. He was the one that really changed her for the worse. He'd take it back and return to being the only Gem-human person in the universe if he knew how. His earlier hope of his mother's fountain now felt optimistic at best.

Abruptly, a harsh branch collided with Steven's forehead, tearing him from his thoughts. He recoiled, regaining his balance over an impressive amount of seconds. The impact wasn't that painful, though it was still a little jarring. Steven recalled enough of what he was _supposed_ to be bothered with to take a brief look around the foliage.

"Garnet?" he hesitantly called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. Who knew how far Pearl had been from the fusion when they found her. He couldn't see much recognizable red through the leaves and trees of the jungle, and all he could really hear was the occasional bird chirping. Or, according to Pearl, the occasional bird-Gem hybrid chirping. The island certainly seemed different now that Steven knew most of its occupants were more-or-less like him.

He called out again, walking a bit deeper into the jungle. Yesterday's experience let him be wary enough to note where the edge of the island lay, some distance to his left. Steven promptly gave it a slightly wider berth.

About another minute or two passed before Steven heard a voice return his. Garnet's iconic accent echoed through the foliage, telling Steven "Over here!" and inciting a louder response from the birds still hiding above. There didn't seem to be as many in this particular part of the jungle. Nodding to himself, Steven followed after the Gem's voice. If he wasn't so bothered, he might've let out a loud "Marco!" in an attempt to ease himself.

Steven passed through one final brush of green before seeing Garnet, the Gem hunched over in a small clearing of grass and broken trees. Then, taking a look around, Steven noticed he was about where Smoky had fought the large corruption yesterday. Some patches of the ground possessed footprints far too large to belong to any normal animal, and Steven tried to ignore the substantial displacement of dirt. The day's warmth didn't get that much more comfortable at the memory. He took another glance at the snapped and bent trees surrounding them before moving towards Garnet's side.

She held a palm upwards, motioning for Steven to stop. He froze with his foot in the air. Carefully, the fusion bent a little further in the grass, cautious to keep her own bubble in her palm. Her other hand paused in the air for a moment before rapidly slamming downwards into the grass underfoot. A subtle _*poof*_ was heard just a second later.

Garnet's posture relaxed. Taking the cue, Steven closed the distance between himself and the fusion. There seemed to be even more Gems in her bubble than in Pearl's. She rose from the ground slowly, turning towards Steven as she placed a shiny shard of green in her bubble. It clinked against the other Gems.

"They're not all from here," she began, foregoing the usual greetings Steven would've expected. Given the stiff disposition she emanated, usual mannerisms seemed less important at the moment. It wasn't too unusual for Garnet. "Some of these Gems… they're too different. It's as if they were _brought_ here."

Steven hummed, unable to contribute much to the sudden explanation. "Pearl said some of them were like wildlife," he returned. Compared to her and Garnet, Steven didn't exactly have a whole lot of experience with the island's occupants. All he had to go off of was the odd creature they captured yesterday and the massive corruption Smoky had neutralized. The thought of that particular fusion forced Steven's eyebrows together, though Garnet didn't seem to notice.

"Something like that," she confirmed, nodding. Even with her sunglasses, Steven could see her uneasy glance at the bubble in her palm. "But corrupted Gems rarely collect in one area, especially somewhere so remote. For them to affect the environment this much is…"

Garnet paused. Steven waited for her to continue, unsure of what point Garnet was attempting to get across. The island being strange wasn't the most imperative thing in the world to him; by now, he'd be happy chalking it up to the ever-growing category of "mysterious Gem business" and forget about it. There were more important things to worry about anyways. Or, more accurately, there was a more important close friend to worry about.

Eventually, Garnet shook her head, as if to clear it. "You said the Gem had glowed when you found it?" she questioned, looking down to Steven's agitated countenance. A fraction of her own urgency relented. Still, he answered, rubbing his arm.

"Yeah," he told her, shrugging. Being polite and at least _attempting_ to put the island higher on his list of priorities ironically wasn't that high on his list of priorities. "Just for a second. It stopped after I bubbled her."

A grim hum from Garnet did little to give Steven patience. She placed a hand on her chin, stepping past Steven and towards the center of their grassy clearing. The fusion didn't exactly seem exhausted, but there was a subtle sluggishness to her steps that didn't fit her character. Her hair looked like it was straining to keep its block shape.

"It _must_ have been trying to regenerate," she said, pacing in the tall grass. She was almost as agitated as Steven at the impossibility. "It must have, but that can't be…"

Steven scratched the back of his neck, looking around at the damaged environment they stood in. Being needlessly massive and strong wasn't too out of the ordinary as far as Gem corruptions were concerned. An oddity like quickened regeneration felt apt for a huge corruption. Honestly, Steven was having more difficulty understanding why Garnet was so preoccupied with that matter instead of the much more pressing matter of Amethyst's condition.

"Maybe she was worried about her friends," Steven muttered, shaking his head. Garnet didn't immediately seem to hear him. The borderline-rude tone of his voice, though arguably justified, didn't alleviate any of Steven's worries. Then Garnet froze in the tall grass, snapping to him like a motorized statue.

"Maybe," she repeated after Steven, as though she just had some epiphany. Her words quickened as some kind of enlightenment elevated her eyebrows. "Maybe it _was_ trying to force its form back together. To keep the other Gems from losing theirs. They're _connected._ "

Steven blinked. That wasn't exactly what he intended to propose. Regardless, Garnet appeared proud of his "forward thinking", reanimating and moving to pat his shoulder in appreciation. She solidified again after realizing his troubled posture, her hand tensing. For a brief moment, she glanced at the bubble in her palm, eyeing the collection of Gems inside. Steven watched her in silence. Then, she sighed, shaking her head and lowering her bubble for a moment. The fusion crouched to Steven's height, adjusting her sunglasses with her free hand.

"You're not here to help me look for Gems," she told him knowingly, nodding. Steven had the idea that she didn't need her mystical future-vision to see how different his priorities were from hers. The cross of his arms probably conveyed enough, with or without his grimace. At least Garnet had finally moved away from the weirdness of the current island. Steven dropped his arms, humming confirmation.

"It's Amethyst," he began, mirroring her initiative to get straight to the point. Rather than mention how Steven almost ignored what was happening on the island, Garnet hummed understanding, probably used to what he counted as worth worrying about. That fact made him feel just a tad better, as did actually discussing what _was_ worth worrying about. "She keeps… changing."

Now Garnet gave him her full attention. Despite her obvious fatigue from scouring the island for so long, she seemed to put a bit more effort into listening to Steven.

"Pearl had told me she was 'hungry' earlier." The tall fusion stood up, seemingly contemplating something as she walked to a bush past Steven. She placed her bubble on it tentatively. Somehow, it managed to float just a little above the leaves. Garnet spoke slowly, moving back in front of Steven at a matching pace. "It is… _odd,_ but I trust you took care of her well enough."

Garnet's second assumption didn't seem linked to her future vision either. Her tone made it seem like she was trusting Steven's capacity to care for his friends. In truth, he took a little pride in the fact, if only because it made and Amethyst and him feel like equals. She often took care of him in the past when he was sick or out of commission. Returning the favor felt apt.

"Yeah," he replied to Garnet, returning to why he was so worried now. Subconsciously, he scratched the back of his neck, not exactly eager to openly acknowledge what was happening to one of his closest companions. Steven forced the words out of his mouth regardless. "But… her skin changed again."

There was a surprising amount of guilt in his voice. Hearing his reluctance, Garnet stepped closer to him, tilting her head as she waited for him to continue. Eventually, he did, still with that degree of remorse.

"It was after we fell on the island." Steven took a brief sigh, trying to remember that he could afford to be honest with Garnet. She usually forced the truth out one way or another, anyways, either with her future-vision or simply her character. "Now she looks… tanned, kind of. Definitely less gray than before. She has freckles, too."

Evidently, Garnet didn't expect that kind of description for Amethyst. Steven didn't think he'd describe his friend in the same way, either, but here he was. Garnet looked up at the foliage above them, apparently thinking. It was difficult to mention what was happening to Amethyst without stating why, but Steven eventually forced himself to speak.

"I think it's my fault," he said, each word tumbling out of his mouth. Of course, Garnet looked back to him, an easing expression curving her lips upwards.

"It was Smoky's unfusing," she quickly replied. Steven wasn't all that surprised at her argument. That earlier explanation she gave to Amethyst and him seemed to be what she was going off of. "No one can be blamed for worrying about the other. And I doubt you have much active control over your humanity."

Steven shook his head. "I don't mean that," he told her. The calming expression on Garnet's features made way for a curious pout. Steven's arms crossed over one another again, this time more out of regret than impatience or being upset. He took a preparatory breath, explaining as best as he could.

"After you left yesterday to help Pearl, Amethyst and I talked about it," he recounted. Garnet returned to listening without skipping a beat. "Why Smoky unfused and everything. I'm glad we talked, but…"

He paused for a second. Even speaking to someone as maternal as Garnet was rendered difficult. It was her experience with fusion that persuaded Steven to finish, albeit nervously.

"But then we fused."

With Garnet being as used to fusion as she was, Steven could understand her not seeing an issue right away. At the time, he didn't see much of a problem with it either. The implications were only settling in just now. Garnet hadn't yet reached that point in understanding, the fusion unable to link Steven's fusion with any kind of malign effect.

"That was you plan, wasn't it?" she asked. A portion of her voice was nearly eager, though Garnet at least seemed to be _attempting_ to suppress her affinity for fusion. Steven could appreciate the effort, though not enough to calm his doubts by any meaningful degree. "It might've not worked as you anticipated, but-"

"I didn't mean to," Steven interrupted her. The words were quiet amidst the ambient noises of the jungle around them. Now Garnet appeared surprised. As much as she could with her reflective sunglasses, at least. It was still a considerable amount of shock. Steven rubbed his arm, too far into his confession to back out now. "I was just… really happy that I could help her. And, well, I was happy we hugged, too, but not…"

Steven let out a troubled sigh. The guilt in his breath was apparent as the streaks of sunlight beaming through the leaves above.

"I wasn't sure at first," he admitted, still rubbing his arm. Garnet gave him her _complete_ attention now, which was a little more intimidating than she probably meant for it to be. "I thought maybe Amethyst had wanted to and I just went with it. But when we made it to the island, I think it happened again. Just for a second."

Garnet didn't even let out a contemplative hum. She was silent, her expression now unreadable behind her sunglasses. All that Steven could notice was a subtle tense in her body. He looked to the grass underfoot, some part of him expecting to be reprimanded. A punishment felt logical, in a way. From his peripheral vision, he saw Garnet look to her palms for a moment, like she was about to explain fusion again. Maybe he _did_ need a reminder, if the past instances with Amethyst meant anything.

"Fusing… on accident," Garnet eventually let out, still eyeing the Gems in her hands. Steven shook his head, trying to explain as much as he could.

"It's because I'm part human," he said, convinced. No other explanation came to mind. He might've been relatively inexperienced with fusion, but he at least understood that it was an agreement. Without the intent of fusing, surely as much couldn't really happen. All his previous intents had consisted of was a great deal of care for Amethyst. He simply wanted to comfort her, and in the case of falling onto the floating island, protect her. Were those really grounds for fusing?

Shaking his head, Steven went with his reasoning, if only because nothing else made sense to him. "It has to be. Some weird… 'connection', maybe, since Amethyst and I are both Gem-human people now."

Some quiet moments passed while Garnet took in his explanation. She probably did, at least. It was hard to tell with her still looking at the Ruby and Sapphire Gems in her palms.

"That's..." she murmured, almost inaudible. For a second, Steven glanced at the bubble she previously put on the bush behind him. The Gems seemed so trivial compared to Amethyst. At the moment, most things did. Another dozen seconds passed before Garnet answered Steven's explanation directly.

"Maybe," was all she replied with, lowering her hands back to her sides. Her features, while still as neutral as usual, now seemed purposefully blank, as though she didn't want to give Steven anything to read into. He wasn't sure if he would've, even given the opportunity. Rather than focus on the discontent she was likely hiding from him, he decided to continue.

"I think I'm why Amethyst keeps changing," he told her. Saying it out loud felt a whole lot worse than silently adhering to his conviction. A knot formed in the pit of Steven's stomach. "Every time we fuse, she gets… more human, I guess."

After a fair amount of time, Garnet reanimated herself again. She took a few steps to Steven before crouching down to his height. As an effect, he instinctively looked away. The most he could identify was a brief smile on her features, like she was trying to ease him. That was a task far more difficult than she probably anticipated, but her effort didn't waver. It should've been comforting enough on its own.

The sounds of the jungle filled in her following silence. Rather than say anything to alleviate some of Steven's worries, Garnet remained quiet, seemingly attempting to read him. All that Steven had left to say was the one thing he _really_ didn't want to acknowledge, more than anything else. Avoiding his last confession ironically made him feel even guiltier. As a compromise, Garnet said it for him, eventually realizing what the permanent grimace on his features was for.

"You don't want to be around her," she spoke, her tone as purposefully neutral as her expression. The fusion placed a comforting hand on Steven's shoulder, offering a secure grip. He couldn't entirely relax at the contact. Still, he didn't shrug it off either. It finally persuaded him to talk again, which he was semi-grateful for.

"I do," he clarified, looking down again. A few beetle-like Gems scuttled around in the grass, though neither Garnet nor he moved to capture them. "I love being around Amethyst. But… I don't want to hurt her."

Steven hummed, trying to word himself better. This part of the explanation also felt the hardest to say, both internally and out loud. "Make her more human, I mean. If we keep fusing on accident, then..."

The grip on Steven's shoulder tightened for a brief moment. He could feel the hard surface of Garnet's Ruby through his shirt, but it wasn't uncomfortable. More reassuring than anything else.

"Then talk about it with Amethyst," Garnet presented simply. She didn't expand on her solution, apparently treating Steven's accidental "gift" of mortality like being too good at beating Amethyst in a video-game. Needless to say, he had trouble giving it as much triviality.

"I want to, but I don't know how I can just bring it up." A minor warmth rose to Steven's cheeks, some of his guilt transforming to apprehension. The trade-off wasn't that great. "I can't just say, 'We've been fusing on accident.' That doesn't... sound right. And then she'll blame me for how she's been changing, and I know she _should,_ because it _is_ my fault-"

Abruptly, Garnet chuckled. The noise was so unexpected that Steven halted completely, still feeling a little too much heat on his face. Whatever trouble she had earlier about Steven's confession dissipated alongside her laughs. She spoke honestly, her tone remarkably sincere despite how dire Steven was treating the situation.

"Amethyst will understand," she told him. The simplicity of Garnet's statement awarded itself a bit more confidence, subsequently allowing Steven to take that confidence a bit more seriously. She tilted her head down a little, giving Steven a reflection of his troubled countenance among the green foliage behind him. "You two... seem to get each other best."

That part was correct. The relationship Steven was lucky enough to have with Amethyst did allow for an easier understanding between them, which was proved true enough yesterday. Steven just hoped that he wouldn't lose that bond in telling Amethyst his doubts. Nothing that came to mind felt as important as maintaining his closeness with her.

"I hope so," he returned, letting out a sigh. Judging by Garnet's grip persisting, she was still worried in some regard. The usual concern she had for his emotions wasn't too out of place. It was familiar enough that Steven thought to mention that maybe things _did_ have a chance of staying the same through his future confession to Amethyst. Before he could speak, however, a glint of light attracted his gaze back to the reflection in Garnet's sunglasses. She interpreted that as some kind of forced eye-contact, tilting her head and moving the mirror-like effect.

To be sure, Steven turned around at the bush behind him. The bubble Garnet placed on it earlier sat dormant, as still as it was when she first put it there. Some shuffles in the grass told Steven the fusion had looked to where his eyes lay, standing up and removing her grip from his shoulder. They looked at the bubble in silence. Or, more accurately, the Gems inside of it.

One of the copious shards within the barrier flashed white.

"...are they supposed to do that?" Steven questioned. He was hesitant to think that was another normal oddity with the Gems of the floating island. Garnet's sudden movement maintained his hesitation.

"No," she returned, now as dire as she was when Steven first found her. The fusion took a few hasty steps past Steven and towards the bubble. "No, they're not-"

Suddenly, the other Gems flashed white. The effect multiplied over each of their colorful surfaces before an iridescent glow engulfed the bubble's interior. A loud _*pop*_ echoed from the orb as the luminescence threw itself outwards in all directions. Garnet leaped back to Steven's side, raising an arm in front of him. Instead of the light splitting apart into multiple forms, it stretched out in a singular blob-like mass, morphing into a variety of shapes in the process.

Then, after what seemed like a visible hesitation, the white light coalesced into a sizable orb, expanding rapidly and shooting multiple protrusions in seemingly random directions. Steven took a panicked step backwards alongside Garnet, watching the mass. It showed no signs of slowing down, soon crushing the bush Garnet's bubble had sat on and reaching into the trees. Four snake-like extensions stretched to the ground, and the moment they made contact with the dirt underfoot, the light began dying down.

Both Steven and his mentor were speechless as the light solidified into a mess of colors. Whatever form had taken shape, it was as big as it was disorganized. None of the creature's legs were the same length, each sporting a variety of appendages not usually found on Earth. Then Steven recognized more than a few out-of-place extensions as smaller Gems poking out of the corruption's hide.

Before Steven could see much else of it, a low thrum from Garnet matched the corruption's constant droning. The next noise Steven could recognize was the definite impact when Garnet launched herself towards the corruption like a rocket. Her gauntlet-adorned fist slammed into a tree directly behind the corruption, seemingly unfazed by piercing the corruption's semi-formed hide. Some leaves were shook free and glided to the grass underneath.

A few moments of staggering passed, and the corruption dissipated before it could even fully form a body. Dust was thrown everywhere in the following destruction of light. Shards of every shape and color flew outwards, soon dotting the grass surrounding them and glinting meekly in the sunlight. A few collided with Steven's face, though the impact was far from dangerous.

As the final Gems hit the ground, Garnet turned back towards Steven, lowering her fist from the tree and revealing a large impression of starred knuckles in the wood. Her posture returned to the strained and fatigued state she had from searching for these very Gems for hours on end. Unsurprisingly, she was the first to speak up.

"Get to the Temple," she began, her tone void of her earlier casualness. She pointed towards the jungle's foliage, likely at the direction of the warp-pad. Steven, still wide-eyed from the Gem's attempt at regeneration, stared as she spoke. "Bring the mother's Gem back here."

The dire familiarity revived Steven's attention. He gave a silent nod, then noticed one of the Gems that had landed right next to his foot. Already it was giving off a bright light, attempting to rise into the air. Instinct alone allowed him to grasp the stone and put it in a bubble of its own. The light diminished, though not entirely. One more worried expression towards Garnet was given before he tossed his pink-tinted bubble to her. She grasped it with one hand, her other already reaching towards a collection of other Gems. Steven turned around, running back towards the others.

The last thought he had before altering his path was the memory of Pearl having a similar bubble to Garnet's.

* * *

 **A/N:** Annd we're ALMOST there. _Amost._


	8. Momentum, IV

**A/N:** You can thank reader "Vampire Tails" for reminding me to look at exactly what I've had done for this chapter, that being HALF OF THE DARN THING WAS ALREADY DONE OOPS. On a more serious note, I do want to apologize for taking so long to update this. It's been low on my list of priorities admittedly, what with college and drawing. That said, I would also like to thank you for reading this story! Let me know if you like it, yeah? Been a while since I wrote so it might not be the best.

Thanks again for reading! See you around, and have a good day!

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _VIII:Momentum, IV_

"Pearl?" Steven called out as he ran. Not that he could've been close enough for her to hear quite yet. He'd only been running for a short minute or two, and he last left his companions farther away than that. Better to be safe than sorry, though. "Amethyst?"

Being so concerned with them almost tripped Steven up enough to fall to the ground. He wasn't eager to have to heal his leg again, especially with what the first restoration induced in Amethyst. Thinking, Steven slowed his pace just a tad, trying not to let the sounds of the jungle interrupt his train of thought. They were becoming louder by the second.

Garnet didn't seem convinced about the explanation concerning Amethyst's and his unwarranted fusing. On the surface she might've, but Steven's known the fusion long enough to read past the poker face her sunglasses usually gave her. Obviously, she'd be less knowledgeable about fusing when it came to one-of-a-kind cases like Gem-human hybrids. That part Steven understood. It was just that he was so used to her being the one to look towards for guidance that being given "talk to Amethyst" as the only real advice didn't feel particularly helpful.

Hearing the sounds of the jungle, Steven shook his head, resuming his pace back to the others. He had to hope that Garnet's bubble failing had been the one exception since she collected so many Gems in it. Pearl _did_ have a fair amount in her own bubble, though. The longer he waited, the more likely it was that her bubble dissipated. Not a risk he wanted to push. Steven had to think that bringing back the mother corruption's Gem would placate the other shards enough to prevent them taking their forms, hence Garnet's urgency, but Steven had his own urgency about the state of his companions. Particularly his more vulnerable friend.

As he ran through the trees and bushes, Steven glanced around nervously. Whatever animal-Gems Pearl and Garnet had yet to bubble were becoming increasingly agitated, judging by their volume. The ambient sounds had moved from peaceful to annoyingly noisy. That must've been what Garnet was dealing with, which translated to why she'd stayed behind. Her conviction to maintain the corruptions since yesterday was impressive.

Suddenly, Steven came across a glowing form in the grass, causing him to stop for a second. At the light's center was a solid green jewel, haphazardly misshapen. Before the Gem's body could even come close to taking shape, Steven crouched down and placed a bubble around its form. It took a few seconds for the light to extinguish inside the pink barrier. On instinct, Steven apologized. Just as he put his hand on top to teleport the bubble away, he heard a voice through the trees.

"Get _back,_ you little-" a voice grunted, its exasperation pleasantly familiar. It only took a few seconds for Steven to resume his run through the trees, calling out the names of his companions once again. A distant _*poof*_ echoed through the trees, though a distinct slicing sound calmed his paranoia about whose form dissipated.

Bursting through the brush of green leaves, Steven stumbled to a stop in the small clearing he first left Pearl and Amethyst in. The former of the two was found near the opposite edge, staring down a blue chimp-like corruption, which was staring back. It tried to, at least; not having eyes probably made staring a bit more difficult. Pearl, unintimidated, sliced downwards with her spear, creating another noticeable _*poof*_ among the noises of the jungle. Steven didn't like how much harder it was to hear in this area of the floating island.

Pearl shook her head, then looked to where Steven stood. A genuine relief washed over her agitated features. The tall Gem opened her mouth to speak, then paused suddenly. She whipped around again, striking with her spear into a suspicious patch of grass. Another _*poof*_ followed. As glad as Steven was for seeing his companion okay (her obvious fatigue notwithstanding), he couldn't find Amethyst in the surrounding area.

"Pearl," he started, sprinting again to cross the clearing. He took a few breaths from running, then spoke again, probably interrupting whatever relieved message Pearl was about to give him. "Where's Amethyst?"

Pearl seemed surprised at his concern, taking a moment to lean on her spear. She looked around the clearing for a moment, inciting Steven to do the same in case he somehow missed the dark hair of his friend. He noticed the lack of Pearl's pale bubble in the immediate vicinity during his search.

"She's-" Pearl started before being interrupted again by a vicious screech. In one fluid motion, she lifted her spear and spun it through the air, catching the mouth of some lizard-ike corruption with the blade before it landed deep into a tree's bark. The Gem of the odd creature clattered to the dirt as she spoke, sounding simultaneously urgent and exasperated. "She just left to check on-"

"Steven!" a voice yelled through the trees, sounding more concerned than Pearl was earlier. Being interrupted again didn't leave her too perturbed. Snapping to the noise, Steven looked to the brush he ran through earlier. Some of the grass shook some distance to the entrance's left. He turned just quick enough to see Amethyst duck under another leaping corruption, her dark hair barely clearing the jaws of a small puma-esque Gem. It had more tails than eyes.

Steven's body moved on instinct. He could only register the loud _*thrum*_ his shield emanated after he heaved it towards the corruption, impacting and subsequently dissipating the Gem's body in the next instant. The momentum of his shield carried it far into a tree past his target. If he wasn't running back to Amethyst's side in the next moment, he would've registered her impressed expression. Her features relaxed after a proper look over Steven. A similar sequence passed over his own features, noticing that she was still fine, save for the odd changes from before. Black hair, reddish-tanned skin, and a couple of subtle freckles adorning her cheeks.

"Thank the _Kindergarten,_ " Amethyst breathed out, shaking her head. Her tone couldn't have been more appreciative if she tried. Hearing her voice alone alleviated some of Steven's worry, though some of it unfortunately persisted regardless. "You're okay. I was just heading to see ya, got worried when P's bubble fritzed out."

For a few moments, Steven felt unable to respond. Seeing Amethyst directly was a hefty reminder of what he had yet to discuss with her, that being the odd accidental fusion their shared hybrid quality must've caused. The next thing that came to mind was exactly how different she'd become since yesterday, and it was far from being an easy topic to bring up. Thankfully, hearing the noises of the jungle gave Steven enough of an idea on what to say first, though not before accruing an odd look from Amethyst due to his hesitation to speak in the first place.

"We have to go," he told his companion, concerning himself with leaving first. Pearl would probably be appreciative of his priorities, as would Garnet. Steven hummed dutifully, reaching a hand towards Amethyst's to lead her to the warp pad. The Gem eyed his sudden grip, recoiling slightly before moving her eyes back to Pearl. She was leaning up a tree again, taking a brief rest.

"What about Pearl?" Amethyst asked, a worried frown bringing her eyebrows together. The exposed eye Steven could see gained a shred of the usual care Amethyst usually did her best to hide. Given how long Pearl had been on this island, it wasn't really out of place for Amethyst to be openly concerned. Honestly, Steven was a little worried too. Gems _did_ have their limits. Amethyst glanced back at Steven, still frowning. "And Garnet? She doin' okay?"

Aside from her inability to match his explanation for fusing, Steven had to think that Garnet wasn't in any immediate danger. Associating the term "danger" with "Garnet" didn't usually mean _she_ was the one Steven worried about. He nodded, taking a brief look at the jungle's foliage before facing Amethyst again.

"Yeah," he told her. There was an odd combination of confidence and urgency in his voice. He could guess as to why. "Garnet's okay for now. She said to get the mom's Gem back."

Unexpectedly, Amethyst scoffed at the idea. "After what happened gettin' her in the first place?"

Steven opened his mouth to offer his own explanation on Garnet's task, but Amethyst wasn't finished speaking. Technically, she _was,_ but the sudden gasp she let out halted his words well enough. Amethyst suddenly placed a hand on Steven's shoulder before pushing him down into the grass, exclaiming "Duck!" like it was the single most important word in the English language. Taking the hint, Steven followed after her motion, instantly crouching to the ground and assuming a defensive pose.

A loud _*thrum*_ echoed through the jungle, though Steven's shield was still lodged into a nearby tree. He brought up his arms in a brace, seeing Amethyst do the same and expecting some nondescript impact on his back. Something definitely hit behind him, though he didn't feel anything make direct contact. All that he noticed was the noise of a collision.

Confused, Steven risked lowering his arms for a moment, looking around. The shadow over his surroundings seemed too familiar to pass off. Amethyst untensed herself after a brief delay, straightening her back. She looked behind Steven, as if trying to find what had apparently taken a mad leap at the curly hair of his head. Steven took the inspection as a sign he could safely untense himself. This let him look around at the odd bubble he found surrounding them, putting a dark tint on the jungle around them.

It wasn't unlike the first strange one he'd landed with Amethyst in. Instead of a usual pink, the surface was dark and purple-like, rough to the touch. On the outside was a dazed corruption, still staggering from impacting the bubble instead of Steven. The usual loudness of the jungle's agitated denizens sounded muffled. For a second, Steven turned back to Amethyst, tilting his head in sheer befuddlement. She stared back, her hand still tense on his shoulder, at as much of a loss for words as he was. To say she was confused was an understatement.

Steven could see Pearl move around the dark barrier, her own confusion evident on her tired features. She inspected the bubble the entire time, even as she dealt with Steven's attacker in one swift thrust of her spear. After a subtle _*poof*_ , the hand on his shoulder relaxed. Somewhat.

The bubble around them began dissipating just after, its surface peeling away into the air itself. Amethyst only stared at Steven the entire time, and he returned it with his own confused gape. There was definitely something to talk about there. Steven added it to the list of topics, though he'd be lying if he said he knew where to put it in terms of importance.

"What…" Pearl uncertainly began, noticing the same oddity Steven and Amethyst participated in. Not much of an explanation was offered. Regardless, the Gem shook her head, ignoring the oddity in favor of their current predicament.

"Garnet and I will deal with these again," she told them, trying to put a bit more force into her voice. Between her lackluster success at a confident tone and the weirdness of Steven's latest bubble, he was hesitant to listen. The opposite effect seemed to occur to Amethyst as she poured _all_ her attention on what Pearl was saying. Steven had the idea it was a better focus than the other alternatives. "If she told you to bring the parent's Gem back, then that's the top priority."

Amethyst replied first, beating Steven to the offer he was about to propose.

"Why don't you come with?" she questioned, returning her hand to Steven's. It took a second for him to remember he likely had a better idea of where the island's warp-pad was, which meant she was letting him lead the way in her grip. Amethyst treated the contact trivially, passing over it like it was nothing. It _was,_ probably. "Thought you'd get sick o' this place by now."

Pearl offered a sarcastic laugh. "'Sick' is an understatement," she told Amethyst, doing her best to shrug off her fatigue. The tall Gem paused for a moment, tensing. Then she whipped around, launching her spear into some of the tree branches above them. A few seconds of tense silence passed as a few leaves gently glided to the ground. Then, a small blue Gem clattered from the branches towards the grass. Pearl caught it in one hand, putting it into its own bubble as she drew another spear with her other hand. "But we have to make sure they don't leave the island. The last thing we need is these corruptions migrating to human settlements _frenzied._ "

That seemed like a worthwhile priority. Amethyst didn't seem to like the fact, though. She mulled over it for a moment, listening to the clamoring of the jungle. Steven tightened the grip on her hand for a second, moving his eyes to hers.

"We'll be fast," he told her. Arguably, his assurance could've been directed towards her _or_ Pearl, but both of them seemed appreciative. Amethyst hummed like Steven had earlier, nodding towards Pearl. Though still fatigued, the tall Gem crouched down to the ground to place Steven's would-be attacker in her own bubble.

"Won't even know we left," Amethyst told her confidently. After a lingering look on Pearl's form, she turned towards Steven, evidently wanting to ask something. Then she shook her head, evidently thinking against it at the last second. There were too many valid questions for Steven to accurately assume which one was on her mind. She motioned forwards with her open palm, still holding to Steven's hand with her other.

"Ladies first," she told him.

* * *

Steven held the direction in his mind about as tightly as he held to Amethyst's hand. They fell into a natural run, though it wasn't the _fastest_ Steven could've moved. Racing Amethyst would have to come at another time. She didn't appear to agree, quickly moving in front of Steven and becoming _his_ lead over a minute or two. He did his best to pull back as he ran, faking a slower pace for Amethyst's sake (ironically enough). Whatever she had to say about the motion didn't leave her lips.

Though there weren't as many Gems on the way, Steven was tense the whole path back. Not just for Amethyst potentially ignoring her newfound limits as a Gem-human hybrid, but for the growing agitation of the Gem-animal hybrids surrounding them. More than a few times did Steven sprint ahead of Amethyst to get the both of them to stop, fearing some large corruption or amalgamation of Gems in their way. The majority of them scampered in random directions, though, and the ones that _were_ aggressive weren't all that dangerous. At the same time, it didn't take a whole lot of danger in the first place for Steven to stop and raise a cautious hand in front of his partner. Each time made her odd look more and more noticeable, but she still didn't say anything of it.

The pattern continued as they half-jogged/half-sprinted towards the warp-pad, Steven drawing out a mental map of where Pearl and Garnet were with every stop. Amethyst glanced around occasionally, pointing out the familiarity of their surroundings whenever Steven shooed or struck away a smaller corruption that was being a little too aggressive. Eventually, she spoke up, slowing her pace for a moment and forcing Steven to do the same.

"I appreciate the sentiment," she finally told him on the fourth time he forced them to stop. After another kick at the lizard-like corruption, Steven turned towards her, broken from their run. Despite the growing heat accompanying their sprint, he still held onto his companion's hand. She reciprocated the grasp, even tightening it a little as she spoke between rushed breaths. "But these small fry... ain't that dangerous, Steven."

Being caught up in both the Gems' mission and his own, Steven was slow to respond. Their running had the subtle benefit of taking his attention, but that also meant a more difficult time in replying to Amethyst quickly. Seeing the suspicion on her features only served to delay his mouth further, mostly because of what the spots on her features reminded him of. Amethyst took his silence as some severe epiphany, and shifted her hand around his again.

"I get it," she continued, her tone surprisingly sincere. In all honesty, Steven hoped she _didn't_ get what was preventing him from speaking, as that was something he wanted to word himself. Misinterpreting anything so important to maintaining their closeness turned into a very real fear over the past half-hour or so. Steven opened his mouth to ask his own question, though Amethyst spoke first. "I know you're worried. But we gotta get that Gem thing ASAP."

Some of his gasps of air lingered as he digested her words. There was some truth to her statement, considering how the floating island's population was only growing larger and larger by the second. Plus, the corruptions that already regenerated only took a swipe of a shield be knocked into a safe distance. Half the time they dissipated on impact. He'd hate to wait around for something stronger to regenerate.

That should've been his number one priority; the sooner that the mother's Gem made it back to the island, the sooner Pearl and Garnet could afford to leave it. And that _should've_ been the reason for Amethyst and him running back to the island's warp-pad. But now that he had a moment to stop, Steven realized that their brisk pace was more due to getting Amethyst to safety more than anything else. Something as important as a corrupted amalgamation wasn't nearly as important as getting his companion away from its offspring, despite how capable she's proven to be. Steven hesitated for a second.

"...you're right," he told Amethyst. Barely, his hand loosened for a second, though Amethyst still held on. Her eyebrows creased together at the regretful tone. Steven didn't let that halt his vocal cords again, despite how impactful the mere sight of her grimace was on his own mood. "Sorry. Let's go."

With a dutiful hum, he motioned forwards with his head. He sneaked one last glance to Amethyst's features, trying his best to ignore the black of her hair and reddened tan of her skin. Amethyst read him enough to hum herself, this time letting him lead the both of them. He ran a tad faster than before, keeping his eyes on the foliage in front of them. In spite of his own internal complaints, he tried for a real sprint, hoping that wouldn't do too much to agitate Amethyst's condition. She matched his speed perfectly.

Thankfully for him, the warp-pad wasn't much farther from where their minor exchange took place. It made his faux conviction that much easier to fake. Something told him Amethyst read through it regardless, though. The moment they made it to the clearing, Steven slowed to a halt, partially for his own sake. As much as he enjoyed how persistent Amethyst's grip was, his body forced their grasp to split so he could put his palms on his knees. Again, Amethyst matched him, moving to a tree as she caught her breath.

"Didn't have to kill us running," she told him after a couple deep breaths, "but A for effort." The heat of the jungle didn't help. Knowing Amethyst, Steven had to guess she was joking, though he still felt a little bad. After his own huffs for breath, he threw one hand up in the air.

"Sorry," he apologized again, his chest still heaving complaint. Maybe he went overboard in taking Amethyst's words. She waved a hand in the air, looking back towards the path they took. There didn't seem to be as many Gem corruptions this close to the warp-pad.

"Ah, don't sweat it," she shook her head. One of her hands had moved from her knees to her side, gripping it lightly. "Could use the exercise anyways."

Abruptly, Amethyst snorted in some brief laugh, attracting Steven's attention. "Aw, don't tell me I gotta start worrying 'bout my shape, now."

Steven only shrugged as his breaths gradually slowed. They'd cross that bridge when they got to it. There were too many other bridges to worry about for the time being. Ironically, the one that got them to pause was currently the closest. Steven eyed the warp-pad as he stood up straighter. The gleaming glass shone prominently amidst the few rays of sunlight beaming through the trees above, making it seem cartoonishly reassuring. Looking at it for a moment, Steven frowned. He turned to his companion.

"Do you hear that?" he asked her abruptly, now much more attentive. Amethyst didn't understand the question right away, stepping away from the tree to strain her ears upwards. The jungle was quiet.

"...no?" she eventually answered. Unsure, she glanced around, still understanding something was off. Their rushed breaths had been the only real noise of the jungle's clearing; now that they more-or-less returned to a normal pace, there wasn't anything to replace the sound.

"Exactly," Steven returned, tense. After the agitation and aggression of the floating island's denizens, a stark lack of angry corruptions felt comparatively _worse._ Amethyst agreed, now looking back to the warp-pad.

"We should probably-"

A low shake from the trees beside them interrupted her. Both Gems froze, looking towards the dense brush alongside each other. On instinct, they stepped a tad closer to the other, finding their fingers intertwined again over the next few seconds. Nothing could be found inside the jungle's dense brush.

Amethyst's grip tightened suddenly, almost crushing Steven's palm in hers. She whipped back towards the warp-pad, jolting towards it with another burst of energy. Steven followed after a short delay, still eyeing the foliage for one more second. That turned out to be a good move. Eyes wide, he rose his open palm, leaping straight into Amethyst's side at the same time.

His bubble barely rose in time to absorb the corruption's impact, immediately smashing its glassy surface into Steven's back before propelling he and his partner through the grass of the clearing. Disoriented, he did his best to maintain his grasp on Amethyst as they tumbled around in the pink barrier, eventually coming to a stop after hitting some trees opposite to the clearing's entrance. It took another few seconds for the Gems inside to come to a stop.

Groaning, Amethyst raised a hand up to the back of her head, moving slowly. Steven lay on top of her, still gripping tightly. Sudden adrenaline only allowed him to feel the soreness of his back after a lengthy delay. Amethyst let out a slurred question on his condition, trying to sit up in their bubble. Steven's weight likely didn't help. After sitting up himself, he repeated her question, not once bothering to answer it. Thank goodness, she seemed mostly fine. As fine as a Gem could be after turning into a pinball.

Amethyst shook her head, looking past Steven towards their attacker. He followed her eyes, hearing another groan escape her lips. It sounded more exasperated than pained. The source of her irritation moved through the brush slowly, still about where it'd struck the both of them.

A monstrous mass of a leg crashed through the trees, splintering a swath of branches outwards onto the grass of the clearing. Another leg soon followed, about the opposite color and just as dangerous looking. Steven's heart sank as he recognized the corruption. Not that one specifically, but it was too reminiscent of the corruption they'd fought yesterday for Steven to identify it as anything other than the mother's sister.

"What, are you the aunty now!?" Amethyst called out towards it, her voice likely muffled from the barrier. Steven slowly rose from Amethyst, staring through the pink tint as the corruption moved into the clearing. It seemed smaller than yesterday's target, but not by much. Some of its hide glowed, like it was still in the process of forming. Simultaneously bat-like and boar-like. Without much thought, Steven moved towards it, purposefully putting himself between the corruption and Amethyst. Obviously, she noticed as much.

In a silence that only matched his, she rose from the bubble's surface. Barely, Steven could feel her place a hand on his shoulder, gripping it lightly. He didn't turn around, but did glance at his companion from the corner of his eye. Even a brief look told him how determined she was.

"Round two?" was all she asked, sounding just as determined as her expression. The grip on his shoulder tightened, both Gems watching the corruption. It moved sporadically, occasionally gnashing its haphazard mouth towards the still-glowing portions of its hide. It didn't seem as well-put together as its counterpart, both mentally and physically. Hesitating, Steven moved his eyes from the corruption to to the warp pad between the three of them. It couldn't have been more than thirty or so yards away.

Still Steven hesitated.

"I'm asking to fuse," Amethyst spoke bluntly. She moved a little to Steven's side in an effort to eye him more straight-on, still keeping her hand on him. Steven's posture wasn't frozen, exactly, but he still didn't move at the direct clarification Amethyst had gave him. "Smoky beat her big sis. We can _do_ this."

The corruption was gradually swaying itself towards them, only making the warp-pad's location more and more dangerous with each passing second. Briefly, Steven glanced at the gleaming surface, then to Amethyst's features.

"No," he finally answered. He stepped aside for a moment, moving away from Amethyst's hand to grip it with his own. The surprise on her face was so extreme Steven half-expected he'd get slapped if Amethyst wasn't so befuddled. He explained as his barrier dissipated. "We only need to get to the warp-pad."

Only someone as close as Amethyst could follow after Steven as soon as she did. Despite how unexpected his denial was, Steven had little difficulty in leading her forwards, watching the corruption closely as he stepped through the branches broken from earlier. There were so many splinters that it was a hazard in its own right. They could only make it four steps through the grass before the corruption spotted them, unnaturally snapping its maw towards them. It planted the massive trunks of its legs deep into the earth of the island, then paused.

Amethyst's experience was the sole reason either one of them could've reacted in time. With a drastic shove, she pushed Steven towards the ground, diving to the earth herself. Some smaller splinters of wood cut into his arms as they hit the grass, and Amethyst's own pained exclamation told Steven she suffered a similar fate. It was still preferable to getting hit by the torrent of stone and dirt launched at where they were standing a second ago. Shaking his head, Steven jolted his eyes towards his companion, finding her some distance away from him. It was only a few yards, but _any_ distance was cause for panic.

"Amethyst!" Steven called out, moving to get up from the ground. He stumbled from the broken wood's sting on his arms, his eyes glued to Amethyst's. Then he noticed the wide-eyed panic she had in her eyes.

" _Move!"_ she called out to him, even cupping her hands around her mouth despite their meager proximity. A fraction of a second later, Steven understood her urgency enough to look back to the corruption. All he could see was the looming shadow of its arm raised high above him. His arms shot out solely on instinct.

The mass of Gem collided with his bubble like a meteor, slamming with such impact it shook the surrounding trees. Before he could hope to catch his breath, Steven witnessed the corruption's other leg sweep into the side of the bubble with about as much ferocity, rocketing the pink sphere (and its contents) back against the edge of trees surrounding the clearing. The next impact was harder to remember, though it was definitely head-first. Not a good sign.

Similar to Amethyst's first reaction, Steven groaned, trying to clear his head from the sequence of collisions against bubble's interior.

"Steven!" Amethyst's worried voice shouted over the corruption's. It wasn't as muffled as Steven would've thought, based on the other bubbles of the day. The recognizable pink disenchanted itself as Steven struggled to find his footing. Something in his head felt like it was ringing. Up in front of him, he could see the corruption momentarily struggling against itself, lashing again at the un-formed portion of its surface. Past that was Amethyst, who began moving in a large berth around the corruption.

" _Why isn't she using the warp-pad?"_ Steven heard himself think amidst the loud ringing in between his ears. She was much closer to that than the corruption. It was the safest option. Why wasn't she taking it?

The Gem took a few steps towards him; the distress on her features was achingly recognizable from such a distance. While the corruption continued swaying and swiping at itself, Amethyst quickened her pace towards Steven, barely giving any attention to their attacker. Thank goodness, the Gem's nondescript movements added to the distance between everyone instead of subtracting from it. Steven tried closing the distance towards Amethyst himself, but stumbled again over a few broken branches and splinters. The noise in his head hadn't diminished by any real degree.

Abruptly, the corruption swept the trunk of its neck towards Amethyst, halting its stomping. She froze, hearing the lack of noise. The multicolored monster let loose a bone-shaking roar before planting its feet deep into the earth again. Rather than rip up the ground itself, the Gem broke out into a sprint towards Amethyst, lowering its malformed horns in a violent charge through the grass. It wasn't that scary in its own right, given Steven's experience; it was the direction the corruption took that made his blood run cold.

Seeing the same thing he did, Amethyst instantly tried backpedaling to get out of the way. Steven didn't have any idea if she would or even _could_ get to a safe enough distance away from the corruption's path. He was already running towards her by the time he could register the corruption's imminent impact. His own momentum caused him to more-or-less slam into Amethyst's half-prepared arms, feeling something sharp run across his back as they both left the ground. Beyond that was an incredible heat radiating outwards, washing over his skin. The jungle went white.


	9. Impact

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _IX: Impact_

They tried getting a sense of their surroundings, blinking away their grogginess as best as they could. _Something_ wasn't right. More than just the sharp pain on their back and leg, more than the awful soreness bouncing around their skull. Rubbing their eyes, the Gem-human hybrid looked around, at first mistaking the leaves underneath them for the grass of the ground. Then, looking up at the grass _above_ them, came to the conclusion that their perspective was a little off.

Smoky Quartz untensed theirself, rolling off the tree they landed against so they were standing upright on the ground. Their leg shouted in complaint as it tried taking their weight, buckling and almost sending them back to floating earth. After a pained seethe through their teeth, they looked down towards the damage, though their black leggings covered it up for the most part. The next thing they noticed was their surplus of left hands. They stared at the palms for a couple seconds, incredulous.

"Again!?" Smoky exclaimed to no one in particular, just now noticing the mass of their body. A roar behind them persuaded them to turn around. Their attacker stumbled into some trees behind them, evidently staggered by some impact. The collection of broken trees behind it was solid evidence.

" _Apparently not_ that _solid,"_ Smoky thought, eyeing the shards of wood now dotting the area. This clearing was getting a little too dangerous with all the sharp debris and ripped terrain. Their cut arms provided enough evidence. Then Smoky's eyes fell on the warp pad, still shining in the jungle's sun-rays. Still their opponent was too near for running to be a good idea. Not to mention the potential of _breaking_ the warp-pad being a very real concern.

The corruption turned towards them, stomping the ground again. Smoky took the message and focused on their weapon, already throwing a hand towards the trees with a minor grunt. For a brief second, both Gems paused, staring at what Smoky's hand produced.

Nothing left their palm. Rather than feel the weight of their yo-yo, they had the light sensation of holding onto their shield. It faced the leaves above, not exactly menacing or useful. The corruption lost what interest it had in the shiny pink surface and broke into a run towards Smoky, roaring again.

They didn't have enough time for confusion; reacting as fast as they could, they expanded the shield outwards, lowering it in front of them just in time to absorb the corruption's charge. Its horns collided with the glassy pink surface with a resounding _*thrum*,_ shaking trees and leaves all around them. The impact nearly struck Smoky off their feet.

In reaction, the corruption recoiled, its horns now glowing like the few bits of hide that had yet to form. Shaking their head, Smoky rolled around the creature with their over-sized shield. They eyed its pink surface uncertainly. Why had they decided on that instead of their signature yo-yo? Certainly the latter was more useful, if only for their experience with the weapon.

Whatever the reason for the defense, it was better than nothing. Smoky tried taking a few steps backwards while the corruption recovered. Some splinters of wood tripped Smoky enough to get them to halt. It was bad enough with the major aches and cuts adorning their body; the horrible headache wasn't helping, either. As if taking advantage of their stumble, some of the corruption's white hide shot out suddenly, reaching out a semi-formed appendage and slicing towards Smoky like a knife. Thankfully, all it scratched was the surface of their forearm, though it still stung. Smoky backed away further, grasping the light wound.

"That's gonna hurt in the mornin'," they muttered, trying to shake off the pain. A bright light attracted their eyes back to the corruption, and they promptly took another step back in a sickened awe. Not even the destroyed earth underfoot could move their eyes away.

The glowing areas of the corruption's hide pulsated for a few moments; then, each growing spot sprouted outwards in various forms of limbs, each a different color. None of them seemed to match, each one sporting different amounts of claws and fur. Whatever formation the corruption was trying to take seemed to be disagreeable at best, as it flailed and pounded the ground in a kind of frustration.

"That just ain't right," Smoky said aloud, either to theirself or the corruption. Both seemed like possible candidates. The Gem, unamused by their comment, rapidly moved towards them in a sluggish run. Whatever qualified as a useful arm swiped in Smoky's direction, forcing them to bring up their shield as they backed away. More harsh _*CLANGS*_ reverberated from the barrier with each strike. Somehow, lifting up a weightless weapon made of light still exacerbated the various cuts on their arms.

The corruption approached slowly, still swaying like it was arguing with itself. Its legs almost buckled to the ground more than once as it tried closing the distance between itself and Smoky, eventually forcing their back into one of the trees surrounding the clearing. A searing bolt ran up their spine, resulting in a pained yelp. Something back there had _definitely_ taken a beating. The swinging arms of the corruption grew a bit more violent, more than a few attempting to reach around the white edge of Smoky's shield.

"Could use some offense!" they tried reminding theirself. No amount of focus put their yo-yo into existence. Even their whip was nowhere to be found. After one of the limbs landed another minor scratch on Smoky's cheek, they tensed their body, allowing the corruption to move just little closer into their shield. Then, with a grunt of exertion, they pushed outwards with all their might, landing a solid impact on the Gem's head with the barrier.

Due to its size, it wasn't exactly sent flying, but Smoky did create enough distance to move around the corruption safely. They eyed the warp-pad, now a bit further from them than before. Its distance wasn't comforting, but it at least gave them a clear focus.

"The Gem," they said, nodding to theirself. That was what needed to be done, no matter how much either part of them believed that. That was the plan. "Just have to get the Mom's Gem back here and we'll be _ay-oh-kay_."

The corruption took another couple of seconds to shake off their last impact, then roared in anger. Some of the semi-formed limbs glowed again, now changing shape to resemble much more dangerous spikes instead of animalistic arms. They seemed just as misshapen as before, but now that their purpose was clearer, they seemed a lot more intimidating. Smoky retreated a little on instinct.

For a third time, the sizable corruption pounded its massive legs deep into the island's earth again. Smoky raised their shield, preparing for another charge. A slew of stone would be harder to block, but they were still ready for it, as much as the sore aches of their limbs disagreed. Instead, the corruption lowered itself to the ground, leering at Smoky the entire time. They got the odd sense that it was hesitating. Then the Gem launched up from the grass, shooting into the heights of leaves above them like an angry malformed star. It was such an odd sight that Smoky paused, watching the creature in awe as their shield-arm relaxed.

A glint of light shined near its belly. Smoky's eyes grew wide once they recognized the collection of shards, now visible on the corruption's underside. So many things clicked into place; not just what the corruption _was,_ but why the island's creatures were so small and hybrid-like. The shield almost dropped from their invisible grip to the ground.

"Cluster," they whispered. That had to be why it was so haphazardly formed. Though far away, Smoky could see some of the Gem shards poking outwards from the main collection, almost like they were thrown together rather than physically fused. It was as if one of Pearl's or Garnet's bubbles had condensed in on itself.

Then Smoky remembered what goes up eventually has to come back down.

The corruption's silhouette grew larger as it dropped back to the floating island's ground, aiming directly towards where Smoky stood. They jumped away as fast as they could, hearing a deafening _*THUD!*_ as the corruption landed behind them. They could've sworn the island itself shook from the force. Hitting the ground themselves just after, Smoky turned around, still wary of the now spike-like appendages dotting the corruption's surface. Some of them attempted to reach towards Smoky, but they were still a safe distance away. Barely.

Again, Smoky looked back towards the warp-pad. They were definitely closer, but it was still out of reach. The corruption wasted no time in turning towards Smoky, stepping out of the crater it made to get its arms closer. They backed up as quickly as possible. Trying to close the gap between theirself and the warp-pad at the same time was too risky. Better to reach it later than not at all.

The corruption grew less aggressive somehow, now jogging towards the fusion rather than fully charging at them. Somehow, Smoky didn't take that as a good sign. Their shield still blocked the corruption's attacks as they moved backwards, taking a wide path on the clearing's edge. Unfortunately, being at the specific distance their opponent created meant striking the corruption away wasn't as easy as before. If they were farther apart, Smoky would've been able to make a break for the warp-pad. If they were closer, they could've made a solid impact against the corruption. They didn't need to fight the thing; they just needed to get the mother's Gem back, and hopefully that'd placate the island's denizens enough to leave alone (this corruption included).

Since this was the same corruption that needlessly charged twice, Smoky had the idea it wasn't that smart. They rethought their assessment when they found theirself backed up into another tree, just like before. Again their back flared up in pain. The corruption still maintained that annoyingly successful distance where its arms were still dangerous while it couldn't be reliably dealt with, letting the limbs do the work while it stood its ground.

Bracing, Smoky planted their feet at the base of the tree, preparing to leap towards the corruption and push it back with their shield. It worked the first time. The second execution just needed a bit more input on their part.

" _This is a bad idea,"_ they heard theirself think. Their leg _was_ injured, somehow. Briefly, they hesitated, still absorbing the various impacts from the slicing spikes on the corruption's hide. They grew more aggressive, striking and stabbing towards the shield harder. " _We need to stay safe._

" _We need to make it to that warp-pad, too,"_ they heard in response. Their boots dug into the dirt underfoot, still tense without moving. One of their legs yelled in complaint. Unsure, they eyed the corruption, now barely moving closer while its arms continued colliding with Smoky's shield. A few swipes threatened to tear their shield away. Smoky's eyes moved to the warp pad, still too far away to make any real leap.

The corruption forced their eyes forwards again, taking one step back with its front legs. About a half-second passed before it suddenly threw itself forwards, slamming into the shield with all its might and nearly crushing Smoky's arm into their front. Immediately after that was another impact as it swept its legs into the shield at an angle, catching the edge of the barrier and forcing it upwards with Smoky's arm.

Time slowed. Panic alone let Smoky move away, using their braced legs to leap to the side instead of into the corruption's front. Some protrusion caught their back, slicing into them as they landed. A yelp of pain left their mouth. Using their momentum, they spun around with their shield, hoping for another * _CLANG_ _*_ as it clashed against the corruption's head.

They did manage to hit it, but not nearly hard enough. The corruption only stumbled a little before retaliating with its other leg. It shoved into Smoky's shoulder like an airbag filled with rocks, throwing them backwards, almost leaving the grass. The impact wasn't blunt enough to be that dangerous, though it still hurt considerably. A curse Smoky didn't even thought they knew fell from their lips as they grasped their shoulder. Some pounding feet in front of them made them raise their shield on instinct.

The horns of the corruption slammed into their shield, now forcing them down into ground. With one arm weakened, their shield shook as it held the corruption off. Spikes threw themselves against the pink defense with a newfound ferocity. Earth was thrown everywhere as the corruption's feet stomped forwards. Smoky glanced at the warp-pad as they struggled against the corruption.

" _Now or never."_

With one last burst of strength, Smoky pushed their shield outwards with all their might, subsequently pushing the corruption off of them. They turned around in the next instant, scrambling into a dash towards the warp-pad and refusing to look behind them. Adrenaline let them clear the gap in record time, but it was also what allowed them to hear the corruption's earth-shaking roar. They willed the warp-pad to activate and tried bringing up their shield once again.

The next few seconds lasted far longer than they should've. A bright light enveloped their vision as the warp-pad activated, tinting their vision of the jungle. The corruption was found charging at them, dangerously close. Its spikes were even closer. Smoky's shield arm was too far away to deflect any slices, and they were already in the process of hitting away any spikes that came too close with their free arm. Only one of the spikes got through.

 _"Agh!"_ Smoky cried from the impact. As the weightlessness of the warp-pad set in, the protrusion pierced deep into Smoky's skin, forcing another pained exclamation from their mouth. Their shield-arm finally completed its journey upwards, now slicing at the attacking spike with the edge of their shield. The limb was cut instantaneously, and the corruption recoiled. After a brief moment, the spike sprouting from Smoky dissipated in a shimmer of dust. Then they left the jungle completely, the light of the warp-pad taking over their vision.

Smoky breathed heavily, still tense from their escape. All they could hear was their own heartbeat as it thumped like a jack-hammer in their chest. Nothing else made a noise in their silent shaft of light. Something about the constant _*thu-thumping*_ forced their eyes downwards, looking towards the damage the corruption had caused. An odd warmth grew at the one place the corruption had managed to cut into them. Smoky stared at their wound, just to the right of their upper Gem, a little under their collarbone. Their starred top now had a definite hole in it, and it could barely obscure the actual damage they felt.

Around that tear was a growing spot of red.

Silent except for their deep breaths, Smoky reached towards the color, not even thinking to disenchant their shield. The usual stinging that came with touching wounds couldn't force a reaction out of them either. As they were carried in the free-fall of the warp-pad's light, they looked at the red now adorning their fingertips. It slowly floated off their hand into the air; a single drip of crimson, a tiny red ball no bigger than the tip of their pinky. Only two words left their mouth.

"I'm… bleeding," they muttered. Smoky felt their arms go slack, their posture melting completely. The next thing they noticed was the bright light around them intensifying.

* * *

Steven tumbled in the air for a few seconds, a broad pain hammering over his body. A few spots in particular especially ached, but there were so many they all blended together. He groaned, shaking his head for a few moments before daring to open his eyes. A bright light pierced his pupils, but he looked around enough to recognize he was in the beam of a warp-pad. Then he recalled the rest.

"Amethyst!" he shouted, trying to right himself in the air. A rare severity was carried in his voice, nearly cracking it. Desperately, he looked for his companion, ignoring the stings and bites of pain adorning his skin. She was somewhere. She _had_ to be.

After what felt like eons, his panicked eyes finally settled on a messy mound of black hair some distance underneath him. He couldn't see her features. The couple of limbs Steven could see were in some slack pose, visibly injured even from here.

She wasn't moving.

He called her name again, not entirely hearing himself as he tried moving closer. Maybe he didn't even speak. Amethyst gradually drifted to the edge of the beam before her leg crossed the threshold, revealing a pillar of the spacious void that dominated wherever warp-pads went through. Steven couldn't see anything other than Amethyst at the moment. He felt himself raise his arm before throwing it towards her, acting on instinct alone.

A violet whip wrapped itself around Amethyst's midriff. Steven pulled as hard as he could, yanking her upwards to him in little more than a second or two. He caught her just another second later, grasping tightly to where his makeshift lasso had landed. The whip disenchanted itself as he righted her in his arms, spiraling a little from how hard he'd caught her.

Immediately, he looked towards her Gem; or rather, beside it. A familiar tear was ripped into her top, surrounded by a dark patch of red. He didn't need to inspect much closer to see her wound.

Steven looked at his own shirt. It sported a tear just like Amethyst's tank-top, but instead of any worrying break in his skin, a light scar ran next to his sternum. About two inches long, maybe just as wide.

"No," was all that left Steven's mouth. He looked to Amethyst's features, feeling a dampness collect at the corners of his eyes. Though her skin was darker than his, her face's complexion was comparatively pale. Too pale. Her eyebrows were contorted in a strained expression of pain, a few drops of sweat collecting on her brow from. She was still breathing, faintly.

A collective guilt fell on Steven's shoulders like a cascade of stone, far more painful than any skirmish with a large corruption. He clenched to her tightly, now feeling a definite wetness trailing from his eyes and floating into the air. An uncertain denial stammered through his lips. "No, no, no…"

 _He_ did this.

Amethyst barely responded to his pained whimpering, opening her exposed eye just a fraction. Through the blurriness of his tears, Steven could see an uncertain degree of fear on her face. His heart, already twisted into a painful knot, cracked.

"I'm—" he tried saying, feeling a heavy lump in his throat. It was almost hard to breathe. Amethyst's eyebrows turned ever so slightly upwards, showing a kind of deep concern. Steven forced the words out of his mouth, burying his head into his friend. Each syllable felt too heavy to say. "I'm so s-sorry, Amethyst. If we didn't— i-if I didn't make us—"

"Don't," Amethyst instantly replied. Though her voice was weak on the surface, there was a strong conviction held in her tone. Something so recognizable it halted Steven's minor shaking. Her eyelids parted a tad farther as she looked to him directly. She spoke slowly between strained breaths of air. "I… know you're gonna blame yourself. Don't—" —she coughed for a moment, making Steven hold just a tad tighter— "—don't you dare."

Steven looked up from Amethyst, feeling more of his tears drift into the open space between himself and his companion. She brought up one arm, lifting the lacerated limb slowly beside herself before reaching across her front. A minor groan left her lips as she moved. Gently, her fingertips came into contact with Steven's cheek, and she let out a deep breath. She spoke softly, nearly whispering from her evident strain.

"I'm not gonna let you."

Wordlessly, Steven looked on at Amethyst. It was all he trusted himself to do; it was all he _could_ do. Tears began collecting together, the droplets moving somewhat closer to Amethyst's Gem as they grew in size. She mustered what strength she could on her features, obviously doing her best to reassure Steven despite the severe damage next to her Gem. She wasn't just looking to him for support; she was looking for a confirmation. For reassurance.

Steven nodded. He held onto her just a little tighter, leaning into her touch. After a preparatory gulp, he spoke as best as he could. Amethyst probably had an easier time speaking than he did.

"O-Okay," he answered. A hint of a smile turned up the corner of Amethyst's lips in spite of how drained and worn she looked. There was a definite scratch on her cheek, partially obscured by her hair. Steven couldn't feel any kind of similar damage, judging by how Amethyst's hand hadn't incited any agitated stinging. She must have taken the damage onto her own body, like before. Knowing whether or not she had done so on purpose wasn't a conversation Steven wanted to have right now.

"Good," Amethyst returned. Steven's answer seemed to give her voice a boost of energy. Not a very impressive boost, though. She still sounded like she was whispering. Her hand left his face to rest on her stomach, slow and careful. She looked towards her chest, persuading Steven to follow her gaze. Her Gem reflected the pure white of the warp-pad's beam.

"And… I'm gonna be okay… right?" she told him, quieter than before. It was difficult to interpret if she was asking a question or reaffirming Steven. He nodded either way, not making any effort to wipe away the tears running off his face. He carefully moved his hand from her back before bringing it on top of the tears between them, shaking as he pushed the liquid down onto Amethyst's top.

"Yeah," he said, feeling some of his weight settle in. Noticing the dampness leave his palm, Steven returned his hand back underneath Amethyst.

She had to be okay. Steven couldn't imagine himself without…

Amethyst grew heavier in his arms. She seemed to curl up a little into his contact, letting herself rest more comfortably. One of Steven's arms lay under her knees, the other supporting her back. Steven looked at the damage next to her Gem, a neutral dampness spreading into the crimson staining her attire. Seeing her skin underneath mend itself, Steven felt a tinge of relief calm his paranoia. That wasn't to say he was no longer terrified.

Amethyst sighed, closing her eyes again. The warp-pad's light died down, and a homey smell reached Steven's nose. Still he looked at Amethyst, the last tears dripping from his face as he held her close.

Steven stayed on the Temple's warp pad for a short pause, letting his partner rest. He didn't want to move too much for fear of disturbing her. That was a deeper concern than agitating the various wounds around his body. Now that they weren't in the full brightness of the warp-pad's beam, he could see enough of Amethyst's skin to notice it hadn't changed too much. Though, it was finally a color more associated with the human spectrum. Somewhat darker than Steven's pigmentation, in a well-tanned kind of way. The freckles her ebony hair didn't cover were definitely more noticeable now.

More seconds of silence passed. Amethyst breathed softly, which hopefully meant she was resting out of fusion-induced fatigue than strain or pain. Her chest rose and fell with her breaths. It was extremely subtle, but just next to her Gem was a gentle heartbeat. Steven hummed quietly, straightening his back and maintaining his hold on Amethyst, shaking his head with a sniff. He glanced around the Temple for a few moments. It was still empty, and the sun had risen considerably since they left. Broad sunlight streamed into the open-spaced home.

Steven stepped off the warp-pad, taking a few slow strides towards the couch of the living room. He was extra careful in making his steps as smooth as possible. A few purposefully lengthy seconds later, he stood in front of the couch. The blanket from last night was still thrown partially to the ground. He looked at it for a moment. Then, Steven turned around, moving past the coffee table towards his room.

Just like his walking, Steven lowered himself slowly, making sure to place Amethyst on the softest possible spot on the bed. She didn't seem to notice, the Gem completely silent as her head gently descended onto the large pillow.

Steven was hesitant to let go of her. He sat kneeling in front of the bed, a majority of Amethyst's weight taken by the mattress, but his arms were still underneath her. His friend's eager appreciation to move into his grasp didn't make it any easier. For a few moments, Steven looked to Amethyst's features again, unsure.

At the moment, he… really didn't want to let go.

Unfortunately, there was still a mission to be dealt with. Pearl and Garnet were still on the island, and it was only going to get more dangerous if those clusters were popping up. Steeling his nerves, Steven forced himself to release his grasp, gradually sliding his arms out from underneath Amethyst. Some of her hair slid a little outwards, but she seemed to be resting, her one arm still over her stomach. A thought occurred to Steven.

He quickly stepped back to the Temple's living room, and moved in front of the couch. His eyes were anchored to Amethyst's resting visage for as long as his vision would allow. Steven's hand found the corner of the blanket from last night, and quickly brought it back up the stairs to his room. With a minor reach forwards, he moved it across Amethyst. Suddenly, Steven paused, still holding the corners of the fabric.

Rather than violet, her Gem had taken a kind of magenta-like hue. Steven didn't need an art class to recognize the combination of pink and purple. He stood staring at the Gem for a few seconds, grasping the blanket.

Then, he shook his head, reanimating himself. A couple moments passed as he made sure she was adequately covered. Steven stood up, nodding to himself. Only her collarbone and up was exposed.

With her Gem covered, she could've been entirely human. Steven would be convinced.

After a lingering look, Steven forced himself to turn around. A warmth wrapped around his hand in the next instant, making him face Amethyst again.

"Be back soon?" she asked quietly. More than hopeful, her expression seemed pleading. The tone of her voice was atypically anxious for someone like Amethyst. Her exposed eye was locked onto Steven's vision. He felt his heart skip a beat at the deep blue of her iris; something in her gaze wasn't explicitly dissimilar to her usual character, but it was definitely a side of her Steven wasn't used to seeing.

"I promise," he said back, matching her quiet tone. He moved to tighten his grasp around Amethyst's, but she beat him to it, closely intertwining her fingers with his. Her expression gained a fraction of hope at Steven's answer. She nodded, still staring into him with that blue eye of hers. Not that he'd move to shy away.

Tentatively, Steven loosened his hand. Amethyst was more hesitant than he was, taking a few precious seconds to let their contact linger. Then her hand finally broke away, pausing before moving back underneath the blanket. Turning around was much more difficult this time around, but Steven eventually managed it, glancing at Amethyst a few times as he strode down the stairs of his room.

With a determined hum, he stepped towards the Temple door.

* * *

 **A/N:** At the time of posting this, it's this story's one-year anniversary! Weirdly coincidental that I close up the first major acts on such a significant day. (If this looks familiar, it's because I quickly split up last chapter to make each one a bit better and more focused). So...

Thanks for favorite-ing, following, and reviewing and reading! It honestly does mean a lot to me that you've read this far into the story. I hope that you've enjoyed this in any capacity you can, and I sincerely hope you continue to find enjoyment as I do while this story grows. It's definitely come a long way since it began as the half-baked vague unrefined scraps it started out as. Who knows what direction we take now? All I know is that the ride will be fun.

Here's to nine more chapters! :D


	10. Dependence, I

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _X: Dependence, I_

 _Unsure, she called out a name, hoping to find them. No voice returned her call, as mute to her ears as her_ own _voice. The sound didn't feel like it was gone, though. Just… somewhere else. Somewhere more useful. After another glance at the diamond dust around her, she heard a sound. A word, more likely; maybe not from whom she expected, but still a reaction nonetheless. It placate her enough to know that the space-scape she found herself in was a good place to be._

 _More words echoed from the stars around her. Admittedly, they were a little hard to make out, but the message was still loud and clear. Reassurance, for the most part, but also a definite degree of… comfort. A kind of honest security she was hesitant to let go. The voice didn't go anywhere, though. It stayed with her, equal parts soothing and honest. Amethyst smiled._

 _Someone was missing, though. Just as she realized, the stars blinked out of existence, leaving her in a hollow void. The darkness furled outwards, surrounding her like a butterfly's wings. It was more than suffocating. She felt so small. Empty. Afraid._

 _Alone._

* * *

Amethyst's eyes shot open in an instant, the Gem bolting upright in Steven's bed. Still in a panic from the encroaching blackness, she desperately pat down the area next to her, hoping for _any_ sign of that voice from before. Nothing but the soft surface of a mattress met her fingertips. She looked around, her newly functional heart thumping wildly in her chest as she searched the dimly lit room. In the dozen seconds of paranoia, she finally found Pearl, sitting on the edge of Steven's bed with her hands frozen around some rectangular device. A phone.

The two Gems stared at each other for a second, hearing each _*thu-thmp*_ of Amethyst's rapid heartbeat gradually slow down. She still held herself in a tense brace as her eyes remained frozen. It wasn't exactly whom Amethyst expected to see.

"Oh, thank the _stars!_ " Pearl exclaimed, nearly throwing her phone to the bed as she moved to hug Amethyst. The embrace had the kind of excessive snugness usually associated with Pearl's maternal attitude, though Amethyst was more used to seeing Steven experience it first-hand. Unfortunately, now wasn't the best time for the affair to be shared; a pained wince left Amethyst's lips as her arms were forced against Pearl's.

"Sorry!" she told Amethyst in the same second, backing up again with her hands still on the Gem's shoulders. Amethyst tried suppressing her pained expression, understanding the intent. At the very least, it helped her forget about the awful nightmare the last few seconds of her dream had turned into. Pearl spoke quietly in that slightly embarrassed tone of hers. "Even with you looking like that, I forget…"

Pearl's quiet graduated to silence. The Gem cleared her throat, then hummed, letting go of Amethyst's shoulders to motion towards her… everything, really. She looked over her own form in response. Though covered in various cuts and dirtied from her time on the island, the damage wasn't her point of interest. Amethyst's hue hadn't changed too much from last time, resembling a tanned color somewhat darker than Steven's own skin. A few strands of hair strayed in front of her eye, and— yep, still a charcoal black. Amethyst looked to the window of Steven's room, and on top of noticing the orange sky of sunset, saw the collection of discolored dots spanning her face in the reflection. Freckles, weirdly enough. As if to keep in line with the strangeness, Amethyst felt a question form on her lips without much thought.

"Where's Steven?" she asked Pearl, her voice strained and dry. A few coughs followed. Pearl put a hand back on her shoulder out of some motherly instinct, supporting Amethyst as she coughed. Her touch was purposefully more careful, the Gem probably hesitant to agitate the cuts over Amethyst's body.

"He's out with Garnet," Pearl told her softly. Evidently, she could sense Amethyst's priorities, though the Gem in question didn't care too much. She was too preoccupied with them in the first place. "They're— Hey!"

Pearl's sudden exclamation did little to halt Amethyst's movements, the Gem already throwing one corner of the blanket off of her and sweeping her legs towards the bed's edge. Immediately, a blunt ache burned over her skin, forcing her to stop with a pained wince. Not just her leg; simply moving the blanket had been enough to re-vitalize the awful soreness that had long since been diluted to a white-noise. A pale hand was over her shoulder again in the next moment.

"Take it easy," Pearl said, equal parts commanding and cautious. The tone was pleasantly familiar among all that's happened in the past day or so. Amethyst still wasn't eager to take her word, and tried moving a little further. Her limbs still didn't agree with the notion, once again flaring their ache into a painful strain. Some minor yelp escaped Amethyst's lips. The Gem forced herself to listen to Pearl, glancing at her from under the bangs of her hair. "You're still… you're not _regenerating_ as normal."

Amethyst only hummed an obstinate acknowledgement, not giving that much more thought. There was a _lot_ that had to be redefined as "normal", but certainly that couldn't have been more important than finding Steven again. Not having him be the first thing to see was surprisingly… well, it wasn't something Amethyst liked the feeling of. She explained as best as she could to Pearl.

"I gotta see him," the Gem said simply, not turning to face her companion. Regardless of how much she could see right then, Pearl's slight stiffening was felt enough to know she understood at least some part of Amethyst's statement. "I gotta make sure he's okay, too—"

"Steven is fine," Pearl instantly reassured Amethyst, trying to pull her back to the more comfortable resting position she sat in earlier. Amethyst still sat upright. "He and Garnet are currently trying to calm down the rest of the Gems on that island."

Now Amethyst turned back to Pearl, some of her hair whipping around in tandem with her head. "He's still on the island!?" she asked incredulously. Her arm moved forwards again, though was forcefully halted by Pearl. She seemed to grab the least lacerated area on purpose. Again, she spoke with a palpable sense of urgency, knowing enough of Amethyst's stubborn attitude to take her movements seriously.

"He's _fine,"_ Pearl repeated, putting more emphasis on the second word. Her expression softened after seeing Amethyst's persistent doubt. The shining stone of her forehead reflected some of the orange sunlight from outside. "After all, he's with Garnet."

Seconds passed as Amethyst did her best to digest what Pearl was saying. Maybe Steven being with Garnet should've sated Amethyst's worry, but honestly, it _didn't._ Not nearly as much as seeing her companion directly would. The short Gem voiced her complaint after another delay.

"But—" —she coughed again, causing Pearl to put a steadying hand on her back— "—But why's he still _there?"_

Ironically, the question was nearly rhetorical, more accurately reflecting Amethyst's disappointment than her befuddlement. Pearl visibly hesitated for a moment, mulling over her words. "Some Gems are still… agitated. He's trying to get them to calm down. You should know how well he gets through to everyone, corruptions and people alike."

That part Amethyst understood like the cuts on the back of her hand. She was still tense from having Steven where he was, though. Not _just_ on the island, but… away from her. Pearl put an addendum to her explanation after hearing Amethyst's dissatisfied hum.

"If it's any comfort," she told the Gem softly, "you should know he was _very_ hesitant to leave your side."

Amethyst felt herself relax a tad. Honestly, that _was_ a comfort; a significant one, at that. She mulled over the notion in her head for a few moments. Maybe that was why the nightmare portion of her dream was as short as it was.

"…how hesitant we talkin'?" she heard herself ask. As arguably strange as her interest was, Pearl didn't treat it with any derisive teasing. Instead, the Gem smiled, apparently glad that Amethyst wasn't trying to throw her broken body down the stairs in a concerned panic. Not that the idea _completely_ left her head.

"Garnet practically had to pull him away," she told Amethyst, helping ease her into a more comfortable sitting position. She was much readier to comply. The cuts were still sore, though the distraction Pearl offered was welcome enough. Steven's bed being so soft helped. "I'm fairly certain the only reason he didn't yell was out of fear of waking you up."

A corner of Amethyst's lips pulled itself upwards. Something about Steven's conviction to stay with her was more than pleasing. Amethyst would even go so far as to call the action _sweet_ of him, as much of a gag reflex as the word usually incited. Using it in Steven's case felt right, though. She was still too early in the process of waking up to care about the description.

Amethyst breathed out a calmed sigh, trying to shake off the rest of her sleep. Not that she liked having to take Pearl's word over her own, but checking over Steven could technically come later. Hopefully _sooner_ rather than later. He had to leave her once to get the mom's Gem back, anyways. Leaving a second time felt more disappointing than dangerous. Conceding, Amethyst shook her head, recalling that she at least had more than one friend to worry about.

"And you?" she asked, her voice still dry. Warming up her vocal cords helped ease them, though not by much. She still sat upright as she spoke to Pearl. "You doin' okay too? Hope _you_ didn't find any clusters out there. Those things suck."

Pearl didn't seem to expect the question. Amethyst got the idea it wasn't that often her voice sounded so worried, but in her defense, Steven had probably been rubbing off on her. Not that ironic, considering the current form she had now. She waited for an answer, feeling herself gradually loosen up as she tried rubbing the grogginess out of her face. It ached a little, too. Pearl fiddled with her ribbon for a few moments.

"I'm…" she began hesitantly. Shifting the worry to her instead of Amethyst's arguably more deserving condition didn't seem to be something she agreed with. Not right-away. After a brief hesitation, Pearl visibly deflated, the pale Gem nearly falling onto Steven's bed in the process. She let out a deep sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose as if to clear some of her fatigue. "Honestly, I'm just glad enough to be on solid ground. I've had enough of floating islands for _several_ lifetimes."

Hearing such an exasperated voice from Pearl got a few laughs out of Amethyst. "Yeeaah," she drew out with a nod, "think that's fair. You were there for, what, like a day straight?"

Pearl grinned a little. "About that long, yes." She seemed to notice something after a delay, her back straightening itself again.

"Cluster?" she asked, a newfound interest in her eyes. Enough enunciation was put on the _you_ part of Amethyst's hope that Pearl could tell what she meant. "You ran into a _cluster?"_

Amethyst's own smile disappeared. She wasn't taking Pearl's concern for granted; just that it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory, especially when the monster was so fresh in her mind. She hesitated, her fingers drumming against her leg through Steven's blanket. Briefly, Amethyst turned her head to glance outside, watching the sun set far out on the horizon, thinking over what to say.

"Kinda," she said quietly. If she was speaking honestly, most of the encounter blurred together in her memory, resembling a large smudge of the word "danger". Recounting any exact details wasn't something she fancied when she first woke up less than five minutes ago. All she trusted herself to recall about the memory correctly were the portions involving Steven, and letting that beast of a corruption get so close to him. Not really that great to start the day/evening to.

"…don't worry about it," Pearl suddenly said. The orange rays of sunlight had grown dimmer since Amethyst first woke up, subsequently making Steven's room a bit darker and Pearl's movements harder to pick up. Still, Amethyst felt her move a bit closer, reaching one arm to place back onto Amethyst's shoulder. Her eyebrows creased together in an evidently concerned expression. Curious, Amethyst tilted her head, staying silent as Pearl spoke. "You don't have to talk about it. Just focus on resting for now."

"It" really could've referred to a variety of things, but Amethyst knew Pearl long enough to understand her intentions. There was a _lot_ to discuss about the mission; not just the island, but what exactly had befallen Steven and herself. The weird bubbles they'd produced only felt like the tip of the iceberg. Amethyst nodded gratitude to her companion, deciding she'd been right in her last statement. Resting was something her body agreed was a good idea.

"Thanks," she told her, slowly relaxing herself back under the bed's covers. The movement brought her eyes to her arms, reassessing the copious bandages adorning herself. Pearl seemed to notice, pausing as she reached back towards her phone. Whatever reassurance her expression held made way for another bout of timid concern.

"…Steven did his best," she told Amethyst quietly. It was like she just went back on her word, the tone was so regretful. Worried, Amethyst looked back to her, not immediately understanding what she was saying. The vague idea she got from the evidence was difficult to accept. Before she could question it, an explosion of light shot up from somewhere in front of her.

Not a literal "explosion", per se, but the sudden luminescence was so unexpected in the dim glow of fading daylight that Amethyst automatically brought up an arm to shield her eyes. Pearl didn't react as severely, though she didn't seem to expect the warp-pad's sudden glow either. The next thing Amethyst noticed was her own name being shouted through the Temple.

"Amethyst!" a pleasantly familiar voice exclaimed. Just as quickly as she brought up her arm, the Gem lowered it, scooting herself to the edge of the bed to make sure her ears hadn't deceived her. Pearl didn't stop her as drastically this time. By the time the light cleared, no one could be seen in the open living room below. The most Amethyst noticed was Garnet's stoic form still standing on the warp-pad some distance away. The fusion gave her a brief wave.

Amethyst waved back, still confused. That _was_ his voice, right? After hearing it so clearly in her dream (more-or-less) she would've thought recognizing it would be second nature. Though, she _did_ also hear a quick-footed pace stomp on the wooden floorboards towards her, so maybe she wasn't as crazy as she first thought. Following that was a loud creaking from some metal springs, similar to Pearl's subtle movements on the mattress. It sounded like someone jumped on a couch.

Some fingers immediately appeared hooked on the edge of the floor. Amethyst's eyes widened as the arms of her friend appeared next, hoisting himself up the edge of his room rather than taking the stairs like any sensible person. Steven lifted himself onto the floor over the next few seconds. He paused just long enough to notice the surprised gapes on Pearl and Amethyst. The former of the two let out a befuddled "Uh…"

"Amethyst!" he called again, almost as loud as his first yell through the home. Amethyst could only relax her arms for a second before Steven threw his own around her. The motion nearly sent them both out the window, he'd been so fast to jump onto the bed with her. Pearl rose a hand alongside a concerned warning to Steven about Amethyst's sensitivity. Still, his contact didn't seem to sting as much as Pearl's did earlier, despite how much more enthusiastic he was to bury his head into Amethyst's shoulder. The hug was so much inexplicably _nicer_ that Amethyst felt the slightest heat rise to her cheeks, the Gem still working out her friend's presence as he squeezed himself around her. She stared at his curly hair for a couple seconds.

Then, after her groggy mind realized who was currently embracing her, Amethyst reciprocated the hug heartily. Even that didn't agitate her wounds as much as before. Whatever the reasoning for her sudden comfort, Amethyst appreciated it. Subsequently, she appreciated Steven a whole lot more, feeling a smile pull her lips into a content crescent as she tightened her grip. Past Steven's warm embrace was Pearl's own visage, notably improved after her own realization of Steven's presence. He seemed to have that effect on people.

Steven breathed out a deep sigh of relief. It was easy enough to notice regardless if Amethyst's eyes were closed from the comfort, given Steven's gusto to press their bodies together. Amethyst didn't mind. She doubted it came from any evil place. Her companion spoke softly, sounding both excited and exhausted.

"I'm _so glad_ you're awake," he told her, eventually loosening his grip a tad. Still, he kept them both in a snug embrace, only moving back far enough to face Amethyst directly. "I got worried you might've been in some weird…"

Steven trailed off uncertainly, then shook his head. He moved it back over Amethyst's shoulder just a second later. "But you're _awake_ now. _*Whew…*_ "

Amethyst pat his back, still not finding her cuts that agitated. Something about Steven silenced whatever complaints they might've had from the harsh contact. Pearl nodded from some undefined approval, glancing back towards her phone. An incredulous expression rose one of her eyebrows, the Gem muttering about how she only sent the message three minutes ago.

"So, you're okay?" Steven suddenly asked. It was impossible to ignore how his concern had remained so constant for so long. He moved back to face her again, another grimace adorning his features. Amethyst was starting to fear the crease of his frown would get stuck there. "Not… sick, or paralyzed, or anything?"

Eventually, he relaxed enough to sit in front of Amethyst instead of nearly on top of her, probably wanting to see proof of whatever Amethyst answered with. His hands trailed from her back to her own palms in the process. Amethyst glanced at the persistent contact for a second, then recalled she had ears as well as hands. After a delay she could only describe as suspicious, she nodded, trying to focus on something other than the mountain of relief Steven's own had caused.

"Mostly okay," she told her friend, shrugging as best as she could. Both Pearl and Steven hummed; the former of the two sounded skeptical, while the latter sounded disappointed. The tone was so atypically regretful that Amethyst felt another reassurance escape her mouth. "But, really, nothing I can't handle. I'm the scrappy one, 'member?"

Barely, Steven nodded, looking over the damage adorning Amethyst's arms. His grip tightened in tandem with the inspection. Whatever doubt she'd lifted from his features returned alongside a frankly upsetting degree of discomfort.

"I'm… sorry," he apologized out of nowhere. Between that and Pearl's conspicuously easing tone, Amethyst connected enough dots to know why she had more bandages than a boxer from one of those Japanese cartoons. She paused for a second before opening her mouth.

"Healin' spit fritzed out?" she asked quietly. The Gem moved herself a tad closer to Steven, regardless of how close they already were in the first place. Pearl looked to the side, her posture losing its stiffness as she rubbed the back of her neck. Garnet's approaching footsteps could be heard downstairs. It wasn't that easy to see Steven nod, but his grimace conveyed more than any simple head movement could. There wasn't much room for misinterpretation anyways.

Amethyst looked back at the cuts of her arms again. "Tears too," she said more to herself than anyone else. Again Steven nodded in that hard-to-accept way that made him look _ashamed_ of his malfunctioning abilities. He moved both of their hands towards himself, pulling them a fraction closer together. An awkward silence followed.

"Don't apologize," Amethyst granted, looking back to Steven. She highly doubted that he didn't try, probably in excess. Now that she thought about it, the bandages _did_ feel a little damp. Steven still looked guilty enough to force an encouraging smile on Amethyst's features. It didn't seem to have much of an effect. "We both know you did what you could."

"But it worked _before_!" the young Gem suddenly burst out. Amethyst recoiled from the evident despair in his voice. Maybe she wasn't the best at reading people, but something about how obviously distraught he was didn't mesh well enough with her image of Steven for the paradox to be taken lightly. A worried pout settled on her features. Pearl's own form went through a similar transition, the Gem reaching forwards to place a hand on Steven's back. Even Garnet appeared from seemingly nowhere, putting a hard palm on Amethyst's shoulder. Steven continued, an obvious guilt chaining his eyes to the floor.

"Why would it work then?" His frown intensified, mirroring how frustrated his voice became over the next few words. "How come it worked in the warp-pad, but not now?"

None of the Gems offered an immediate response. Pearl let out a deep sigh as she rubbed Steven's back, obviously trying to comfort him. He barely seemed to notice.

"We don't know, Steven," she answered honestly. Her voice was almost as frustrated as Steven's, though she did seem to make an effort in keeping his spirits up. Well, _higher_ , at least. "This is the first time _any_ of us have seen something like… this."

Amethyst hummed. "Maybe…" she began, uncertain on what to say. She had the feeling Steven and the others already had a version of this conversation while she was out cold. Reminding them of the fact probably wasn't the nicest thing to do. Still, Amethyst spoke to herself, trying to find an explanation that fit with all the weirdness of the past day and a half. "Maybe it still only works when it _really_ matters. Life and—" —she paused for a moment, hesitant to continue— "—…life and death stuff, y'know?"

Abruptly, Steven removed one of his hands from hers, now grasping an undamaged part of her arm. " _This_ really matters!" he argued back, raising the limb a little. Amethyst noticed Pearl glance to the side again, and didn't have to look up to know Garnet had done something similar. "You shouldn't be hurt _at all._ I just— I don't know why I can't…"

He sounded on the verge of tears. A faint line ran down either one of his cheeks, giving Amethyst the idea that he'd already stepped over that verge plenty beforehand.

" _Steven,"_ she found herself saying. Something about Steven's regret forced the words out of her mouth. He paused, looking to her as his grip relaxed. In spite of the others' presence, an earnestly encouraging tone fell over her voice. "It's okay. There's a _lot_ we don't know. But we'll figure it out, alright? I'm still breathin'."

Steven paused for a moment, staring at Amethyst. The sight didn't dissuade her from speaking further; if anything, it's what persuaded her to continue. "You've already done more than enough, anyways. Can't owe ya much more than my _life,_ y'know?"

Fittingly, the sun chose about that moment to complete its journey under the horizon, the last streaks of orange rays disappearing in tandem with Steven's expression of grief. He didn't necessarily seem reassured, but the surprise on his features was definitely preferable to his self-imposed anguish. Amethyst glanced down for a second, moving her eyes to the star of his shirt. He still wore the same one as before. Wordlessly, Amethyst moved her newly tanned hand to the torn hole of the fabric, gently touching the subtle scar that ran underneath. The contact seemed to make him hesitate.

"…you know you don't owe me anything," he returned. Though still audibly glum, the change was a step in the right direction. Amethyst took hold of the opportunity, moving her hand around his instead of the opposite. Steven looked at their shared contact for a brief second. "I just… my spit— or tears— they were the one thing that couldn't change. I couldn't _let_ them, because that'd mean…"

Something tugged at Amethyst's Gem. Though, she had to think it was more accurate to say it tugged at her recently gained heart.

"I know," she returned quietly. Garnet's grip intensified on her shoulder. The fusion stayed silent, as if letting Amethyst continue. Pearl gave a similar offer in her own silence. Unlike usual, Amethyst didn't need to be alone with Steven or to even take a preparatory breath to speak further. The hand on Steven's shirt drifted away to clasp around his own hand. "I know you keep wanting to protect me. I get it. But don't think you _have_ to, because you _don't._ Remember?"

Steven, though looking like he _wanted_ to argue back, remained quiet. As did Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst didn't pay them enough mind to notice the sincerity of her tone until Steven nodded again. The earlier promise Amethyst held him to didn't seem to stick that well in his memory, but reminding him now had enough of an effect. Barely, his grasp on her hand relaxed, now just tight enough to offer security without worrying anyone. Garnet's hand seemed to hesitate on Amethyst's shoulder. She nodded alongside Pearl, both Gems quiet while the shorter two of the four talked.

"…right," Steven eventually breathed out. He shifted his hand from Amethyst's arm to his side after another pause, not moving his eyes off of Amethyst's. She was glad enough just to get rid of his distress; replacing it with an empathic understanding was a bit of a bonus to her. "But, I still _want_ to."

"Understandable," Amethyst quickly returned. Not wanting to pass up another opportunity to ease him, she shrugged. "I am pretty great."

Somehow, Amethyst (of all people) managed to get a laugh out of Steven with nothing but her words. Then again, her grasp might've helped. Even Pearl smirked, rolling her eyes. Garnet hummed, though her hand itself felt like it was smiling.

"You are," Steven agreed, the slightest smile widening his cheeks. Amethyst took the compliment wholeheartedly. It wasn't that often a simple assurance had lifted her mood by that much. In fact, the occurrence was so infrequent that Amethyst actually couldn't recall _any_ previous time that such a basic form of flattery had made her feel so good. Regardless, she had a best friend to comfort, so she did her best to suppress the deeper red in her cheeks as she spoke.

"And, hey," she started. For a second, she hesitated, moving some black bangs of hair from her face as she thought on her words. "Whatever happens, we'll figure out this weird hybrid stuff _together."_

Now Steven was smiling completely, like the doom and gloom earlier had just been a figment if the Gems' collective imagination. He nodded, evidently understanding enough of Amethyst's message to reciprocate it. "Right," he said. "Together."

 _There_ was the confidently optimistic Steven that Amethyst knew and loved. She mimicked his earlier nod, albeit with a satisfied hum and a lot more confidence. Something she had Steven to thank for, ironically enough. Whether he was actively reassuring her or vice versa, that was something that always seemed consistent across their brief conversations. Amethyst cleared her throat, tilting her head towards Garnet's bespectacled visage.

"But, uh," she started, her voice returning to its usual casualness, "wouldn't mind a pointer 'r something from you, G."

Amethyst turned back towards Steven, looking over his shoulder to Pearl's features. They were all raised in a definite expression of surprise. "Same with you, Pearl."

Both Gems had taken after Steven's silence, each with varying degrees of incredulity. Out of all that's happened, Amethyst being so honest was what stole their voices? She might've laughed at the matter; in fact, she _did,_ if only to give them something familiar to respond to.

"Well?" she tried again. The dark of the room didn't seem to have any effect on her ability to see her companions' surprise. "C'mon, can't do _all_ this heartfelt junk on my own, guys."

That eventually did something. Garnet laughed in that succinct way of hers, lowering herself onto Steven's bed as her arms reached around the both of them. Her contact was purposefully gentle. Barely, Pearl moved similarly, sliding herself closer to wrap her own pale arms around Steven and Amethyst under Garnet's grasp. She let out a content laugh as well. With Steven sharing the center of their mass embrace with Amethyst, he was much gentler in hugging _her,_ but the notion was nice enough regardless. The mattress underneath creaked from the Gems' combined weight.

"Well put," Pearl granted, sounding proud. It wasn't often Amethyst heard those words _without_ sarcasm. Garnet hummed agreement, mentioning that Amethyst did a fair job acting as Steven's stand-in. The Gem in question nodded, now smiling at Amethyst with such a pleased grin that she found it impossible not to reciprocate it. "Pleasant" didn't begin to describe how the curve had made her feel. That feeling's existence seemed amplified by how everything else should've dampened any positivity. Rather than scared or finding the future ominous, whatever came next currently felt… inconsequential, almost. Like the moment now invalidated any potentially dire moments later.

"Thanks, Amethyst," Steven told her softly. Being so close to him, both physically and otherwise, helped in hearing the message. Not strictly what he was saying with his mouth. There was a definite message in the sparkling hazel of his eyes.

" _I needed that."_

"No problem," Amethyst returned, about as softly. "Figure you don't gotta be the peacemaker _all_ the time." A genuine relief washed over her, affecting not just her features, but also her voice. Hearing as much was pretty easy when their shared hug tuned out most outside noises. "I got'cha, bud."

For a moment, the Gems paused. It felt as though Garnet was considering tightening her embrace, but she thankfully decided against it. Amethyst was a little grateful. The grip still stung a little, however much hugging together diluted her arms' complaints. After another delay, Garnet relaxed her arms, allowing Pearl to follow suit. Steven took considerably longer to let go, but it wasn't as though Amethyst focused on his hesitation or anything. She definitely didn't focus on her own, either.

"Eugh," Pearl abruptly recoiled, as though she stepped on a day-old egg with socks on. Curious, Steven turned around, moving his gaze alongside Amethyst's. Pearl glanced over her arms with a suppressed disgust, probably finding the dirt adorning her skin a little repulsive. Behind Amethyst, Garnet moved to turn on the lamp on Steven's nightstand, bringing the rest of the dirt on her attire to light. It was an impressive amount. Amethyst whistled an aptly impressed tune.

"Good ol' dirt bath," she joked. Pearl seemed unamused, even by the half of a laugh Steven tried holding back. "That's a good look for ya."

A faux laugh from Pearl brought a real one out of Steven. The Gem rolled her eyes, trying to dust off the muddy brown staining her outfit. Whatever teal of the fabric lay underneath remained buried. With a groan, she scooted herself a small distance away from Steven, raising her arms outwards to either side as she moved. She closed her eyes over the next few moments. Her Gem glowed for a second, momentarily brightening the room further. Then, her entire form flashed a bright white.

The light wasn't enough to cause Amethyst to flinch, though she had to admit that finding Pearl's purpose took a bit longer than usual. Steven seemed to reach his own understanding at about the same time. Pearl let out a relieved sigh, looking over her newly cleaned arms again. Her form nearly sparkled from the pristine paleness.

"Much better," she breathed out, readjusting her now spotless attire. Even her ribbon seemed to receive a polish. Amethyst booed, finding a usual disappointment in Pearl's preference to cleanliness. The rougher look she had didn't last very long at all. Steven mentioned something to a similar effect.

"Good idea," Garnet said aloud, accruing the gaze from Steven and Amethyst. Now that she was comparatively closer than the first time Amethyst had seen her, noticing the dirt of her own form was much easier. There seemed to be a few branches and leaves sticking out of the cube of her hair. All things considered, Amethyst was surprised she didn't look worse. Garnet had a way of magnetising any kind of mess to herself whenever a fight was involved. The fusion held her palms out as she stood up from Steven's bed, a little more purposeful than Pearl in her movements. Like before, she paused for a second in focus. The Gems in her palms glowed before transferring the brightness to the rest of the fusion's body.

What dirt she had was also gone in the flash, alongside the minor foliage dotted through her hair. A loud _*thunk*_ above moved each of the Gems' eyes upwards. Some wooden shards vibrated to a stop in the wooden rafters above. Garnet glanced at the protrusions for a second, humming. The Gems stared upwards for a couple more seconds before recognizing the branches now sticking out from the ceiling. Rather than be evaporated (or disintegrated, or moved, or _whatever_ happened to the dirt cleaned from Garnet) the larger bits of twigs and branches must've shot outwards into the ceiling above in being removed from Garnet's hair.

"I'll get those later," she announced to them. Pearl let out an uncertain hum. Then Amethyst hummed a more thoughtful tone, moving her eyes to herself again.

"Guess it couldn't hurt to get cleaned up," she muttered, looking over her own form. Even if her skin color more closely matched the grime gained from the island, she looked far from "clean." She still wore the same tank-top as before, now cut and torn in various places. The off-white color did little to hide any dirt staining it, and there was a _lot._ Weirdly, the major tear just next to her magenta-colored Gem seemed the most clean. The areas around her cuts had been somewhat less dirty, too. Though, the same couldn't be said of her hair. She was pretty sure she had her own collection of tree bits hidden in the locks.

"Uh..." Steven slowly let out with an assessment of his own. Amethyst couldn't have been any more disheveled than she usually was following a mission, but between the difference in colors and exact _scale_ of their latest mission, every patch of soil seemed a bit more noticeable and a bit dirtier as an effect. Steven's case was similar, sporting about as many grass-stains and spots of muck on his own attire. He didn't seem nearly as beat up, though. "Yeah. Couldn't hurt."

Steven paused for a second, frowning out of some contemplation. "But, uh, maybe you shouldn't try to use your Gem."

It didn't sound as though he was warning Amethyst. More like he was advising her. The advice was a little redundant, but she still appreciated it nonetheless.

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding sheepishly. Pearl slowly stood up from Steven's bed, grabbing her phone as she rose. The Gem looked like she was about to copy Amethyst's words. "Probably ain't gonna try any kinda shape-shifting any time soon."

Garnet pat her back. "Shouldn't risk it," she said, adjusting her sunglasses. The beach outside wasn't that dark, though a cool blue was reflected from the mirror-like effect regardless. Amethyst would've guessed it was around five, depending on the month. Whatever that was. She usually left Pearl to keep track of time.

"You can use the shower," Steven offered. He was making a noticeable effort to rub away what dirt he could from his arms and face. Really, it just spread the mess out further, but Amethyst wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Steven eventually gave up on his effort to look back at Amethyst, curious. "You… know how a shower works, right?"

Amethyst had to laugh. "Nah," she answered jokingly. Steven took her answer seriously for a couple seconds, resulting in a bit more laughs. "Kidding. Yeah, 'course I know."

An obvious relief relaxed Steven's features. He shook his head, stretching out his shirt to get a better look at it. Half of the yellow star adorning the front had become covered in the grey-brown color of soil. "I should probably take one, too."

"Yes," Pearl agreed, almost pleading. She tried dusting off some of the grains and pebbles that had fallen onto the bed. "It'd be a good way to start relaxing again. You could _both_ use a break after today."

Despite missing at least half the day, Amethyst had to agree to that, too, if only to get Steven to relax. Her own rest hadn't been particularly restful, anyways. Steven looked back to Amethyst, now wearing that subtle grin that always seemed to ease everyone in the room. At the very least, it eased Amethyst.

"Ladies first," he told her, motioning towards the stairs of his room. Garnet was already halfway down the steps, probably preparing something for the future. She tossed a casual farewell behind her, like she was just heading to the store for a short while. Considering her record, the arguably sudden absence wasn't all that worrisome. Amethyst, making a note of how much better her voice felt now, focused back on Steven.

"That's my line," she returned with a roll of her eyes. Steven only smiled in response. Shaking her head, Amethyst forced herself to break away from him and moved towards the edge of the bed. Pearl looked at her for a brief moment, pausing as she followed after Garnet. She hesitated for another moment, glancing towards Amethyst's arms. Steven sensed enough of her pause to move alongside her.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, audibly quieter. It wasn't a dire question on her condition overall. Amethyst got the sense he was simply asking about whatever limitations her wounds might've imposed. Pearl seemed worried about that as well. Still, Amethyst was confident.

"I'll be fine." Amethyst moved her legs again, testing exactly how strenuous the simple act of moving was. The blunt ache from before didn't feel nearly as severe. Now her arms felt sore rather than torn open. Maybe it was just Steven's presence that granted as much, but it still eased her enough for a simple shower to be more than possible. Amethyst rose a hand towards Steven, reassuring him. "I know my way around first-aid. We'll replace the bandages and everything. Easy-peasy."

The reassurance did seem to calm him. Steven visibly relaxed, nodding. He glanced towards her Gem for a second. Though, after a double-take, Amethyst realized he was just looking up and down her attire. It was still about as dirty as she was.

"You're gonna need some clothes, too," he eventually realized. Amethyst frowned, sizing herself up. It'd probably make the shower redundant if she just re-dirtied herself with the same outfit as before. Not to mention how much less practical that outfit was, what with the copious tears and frayed ends torn into it. Pearl reanimated herself again, placing a thoughtful hand on her chin. She muttered something about not having a whole lot of clothing just lying around. Abruptly, Steven snapped his fingers, then got up from the bed he and Amethyst sat on.

Pearl glanced at him as he strode past her and down the stairs. His brisk pace might've been a race for how purposeful he'd made it. After his form had disappeared under the edge of his room, Amethyst rose an eyebrow to Pearl, who could only shrug in response. Both Gems heard a subtle squeak of a door hinge. Then, after another few moments, Steven reappeared at the top of the stairs, holding something recognizably pink and yellow in his arms.

"Here," he offered, holding out the shirt. Amethyst's eyebrows stayed elevated in surprise. Pearl stifled a minor laugh of her own, but it was heard all the same.

"You _are_ about the same size," she reasoned, motioning towards the shirt Steven held out. He nodded, holding out a familiar pair of jeans as well.

"And we both still have short legs," he added. Amethyst still stared at the denim, bringing more words out of Steven's mouth. "It's a good look, trust me. Very fashionable."

A brief smirk was all Amethyst could muster at the moment. Logically, Steven's outfit _was_ a step up from her torn and grimy attire, but something about borrowing her best friend's clothes felt… weird, in a way. Almost as though she was overstepping some unspoken boundary. Maybe she was reading too much into the offer. Seeing her skeptical expression, Steven spoke up again, sounding surprisingly eager.

"We can get you your own clothes later." He shook the articles of clothing for a second, obviously expecting Amethyst to take them. She did, eventually. It was impossible to shake the odd feeling as she tentatively grasped the fabric. Steven nodded dutifully, placing his hands on his hips in a fittingly dutiful pose. Pearl resumed her pace, patting Steven's back as she moved past him.

"We'll try to keep your style," she told Amethyst. The tone was filled with her personal brand of mischievousness, making the short Gem narrow her eyes in suspicion. Steven heard it as well, giving his own skeptic leer as Pearl strode down the stairs. After a few moments, Amethyst loosened her grip, laying the clothing over her legs as she looked back to Steven.

" _Please_ don't let Pearl pick my threads," she pleaded. Whatever her "style" was, she wasn't ready to have it chosen by Pearl. It was pretty obvious they had a different interpretation of the term. Steven, being the only person whom she trusted enough, listened carefully. "Or Garnet. I'll look like a six-sided disco diva."

Evidently, Steven understood the importance of his role. He saluted, humming a determined confirmation. "I know exactly what to get," he assured her. The action looked comically serious between the fading light outside and the intensity of the lamp on his nightstand. As funny as he looked, Amethyst still found herself grateful for him. Again. Though, if she was being honest, Amethyst wasn't entirely sure _she_ knew what went well with her more human look. Did they sell tank-tops to specifically go with freckles?

Downstairs, Garnet's voice called to Steven, causing both Gems to raise their heads. They looked at each other for a second. That previous weirdness reemerged in the sudden quiet following, but judging by Steven's features, the oddity was one-sided. Subsequently, that made it feel even stranger to Amethyst. Some more time passed as she realized what the call was for.

"I, um..." Steven began slowly, still standing in front of Amethyst. His form looked frozen in a hesitant pause. Amethyst knew _she_ was in about the same state. "I gotta go make sure you don't look like a six-sided disco diva."

Amethyst didn't move for some time. She remained a statue on his bed, only hearing a distant rush of water from the faucet of the kitchen sink. It sounded almost too muffled.

"Right," the Gem eventually breathed out. She glanced at the clothes again, shook her head, and stood up slowly. Unfortunately, her legs functioned fine, the minor ache in them notwithstanding. After another hesitation, Amethyst wondered why that was a bad thing. Then she got her answer when Steven suddenly wrapped himself around her in another embrace.

Though not as enthusiastic as their first hug, nor as dramatic as their second, the third hug Steven offered had the strongest impact of the three. It was anyone's guess as to why. Like the first time, Amethyst felt an uncertain warmth rise to her cheeks, and she looked at their shared contact as best as she could. This time, Steven's arms were _under_ hers, allowing her to move more freely. She didn't. In fact, she didn't move at all.

"We'll be back soon," Steven assured her. If he thought her hesitation to reciprocate the hug was odd, he didn't show it. Before Amethyst thought to mimic her companion, he loosened his grip, giving her a wide grin. "Won't even know we left."

Another "Right," was all Amethyst could give. Steven nodded one last time, then turned around to head back down the stairs himself, leaving Amethyst alone in his room. To be fair, she could've walked down with him given her own destination, but she found her legs no longer functioning fine. Not out of pain or soreness, thankfully, but they were still immobilized. The faint rushing of the kitchen faucet halted, allowing the quiet tide outside to take over.

Briefly, Amethyst glanced towards the clothing in her hands. One starred shirt, and one pair of blue jeans, both partially illuminated in the lamp's light. She thought for a moment, feeling a grimace pull her eyebrows together as her grip tightened. Her eyes moved to the tanned skin of her hands, then to magenta Gem in her chest. Eventually, she found her gaze settle on the cut in her top, just next to her Gem. The door opened downstairs as she stared at the rip. The wood swung shut not long after alongside a collection of footfalls, each audibly different. More time passed. Amethyst let out a deep breath, shaking her head.

She had a shower to take.

* * *

 **A/N:** New act, new scenes, new perspectives! Been wanting to change it up for a while and I figured now was the best time to do that. Pretty ironic if you knew what I did. Which is kinda scary if you actually _did_ know what I do. Who let you into my brain? I sure didn't!

Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter, and I hope to see you around in the future! Have a good day! :D


	11. Dependence, II

**A/N:** Important to note is that this story was written _far_ before impactful episodes/specials like "Change your Mind" were even a consideration, so the Gems are all in their earlier forms (season four or five I think, I forget the numbers; you've probably worked out their outfits by now anyways). But, I mean, it's _text,_ so for the most part you can really just envision them however you naturally do. That's how readin' _works,_ after all. Though, I do _try_ to paint a vivid picture.

Have a good day!

(I don't own Steven Universe)

* * *

 _XI: Dependence, II_

Amethyst strode down the stairs with a purposefully slow pace. While her eyes were forced downwards, she didn't pay much attention to the wooden steps underfoot. She wasn't even that aware of the wooden bar she used as support, too lost in thought to contemplate the rough surface.

That last exchange with Steven was… strange. Weird. Certainly weirder than Amethyst had any business being with someone as close as him. One would think that any weirdness between them would be reduced with the earnest conversation they shared earlier. And, in a sense, Amethyst did think as much at the time. Taking after Steven wasn't something she could usually accomplish with as much success or ease. But between the last hug Steven had given her and the awkward silence he'd induced, Amethyst got the sense that not quite everything could be solved in one catharsis. Which, admittedly, kind of sucked.

Without thinking, Amethyst hit the bottom of the stairs, stumbling a little when she expected the floor to be further down than it was. She shook her head in a futile effort to clear it. A lot of things could be blamed for how some of her doubts lingered; waking up so recently, her complete transformation into a Gem-Human hybrid, or maybe even seeing Steven so atypically distraught a couple minutes ago. None of those excuses could be used honestly, though. The fact was as frustrating as it was true. At the same time, Amethyst being left with no real answer to rely on things felt so… so…

"Amethyst?" a voice called, breaking her out of her thoughts again. Curious, the Gem tore her eyes from her dirty boots, seeing Pearl's semi-distant form in the kitchen up ahead. The lights of the kitchen seemed comparatively bright next to the dusk outside. Pearl stood under those lights, holding a pan over the stove in one hand and something round and white in the other. Weirdly, Amethyst first assumed it was her own Gem. Then Pearl brought down the egg on the edge of a pan, cracking it and spilling the yolk onto the hot surface. Some sizzling soon followed.

Nonplussed, Amethyst glanced to her right, seeing the dim evening outside through the mesh of the front door. A cloudy sky met her view along with a few far-off birds near the horizon. Barely, she could smell the salty scent of the ocean waft into the Temple. She strained her eyes for a moment, looking towards the beach. Only two dots of people could be seen walking around the bend of sand, one short, one considerably tall.

"Hm," Amethyst muttered to herself, looking back to Pearl. The pale Gem's eyes still remained on her. Unsure of what she was waiting for, Amethyst spoke up, resuming her gradual pace towards the bathroom. Her legs still felt sore. "Thought you would'a gone with them. Y'know, to 'keep my style.'"

A short pause met her words. As she strode past the living room's couch, the heated scent of whatever Pearl was cooking replaced the smell of the sea. Unconsciously, Amethyst felt her legs turn towards the kitchen. Her body soon followed after.

"What'cha cookin'?" she asked, just now noticing the emptiness of her stomach. Fittingly, it growled in a low rumble. Pearl let out a brief laugh.

"You'll find out," she returned. The Gem moved towards one of the cabinets, getting out a couple nondescript seasonings that Amethyst never bothered to learn the name of. She was too focused on the stove to read their labels now. Pearl didn't read them either, though that was probably more due to experience than laziness. It wouldn't be the first time she put together a meal. Amethyst listened to her companion's explanation, watching intently as she applied one of the various ingredients to the egg in the pan.

"Garnet and Steven can buy your clothes," Pearl told her. Something about her tone seemed conspicuously proud. "It's hardly a good idea to leave you alone, so…"

Amethyst tilted her head, now standing in front of the kitchen counter. A few locks of ebony hair spilled to the side. Subsequently, a couple twigs fell out as well. Maybe there was more truth to the wood in her hair than she first thought. Pearl spoke again, hardly looking at the pan as she moved its contents around. "Steven had said you were hungry before, so I assumed something similar would happen now."

Judging by the second rumbling her stomach produced, Pearl's assumption was spot on. Amethyst _was_ hungry. Being preoccupied with her best friend earlier put such a need on hold, but now that Steven had been reassured, Amethyst noticed the emptiness of her stomach much more easily. Smelling a hot meal directly had helped. Part of her was tempted to just go and grab whatever Pearl was putting together immediately, but that probably wasn't a good idea, for a number of reasons. Burns were a serious consideration now.

Still, Amethyst waited by the countertop, nearly salivating in anticipation. Pearl sensed enough to turn around, and promptly suppressed a laugh at whatever expression Amethyst had on her features.

"It won't be ready for a while," she said after her pseudo-chuckling subsided. Amethyst deflated, now slouching onto the marble surface with a disappointed frown. "You can afford to take a shower first. It should be done by the time you come out."

All things considered, Amethyst didn't know how long of a shower she planned on taking. Though, the warning did tear her away from Pearl's cooking. Somewhat.

"…probably," Amethyst eventually said. The word was so delayed that it was hard to recall what she was replying to. Something caught in her throat, forcing her to clear it. Her vocal cords still didn't agree with her. Similar to how hungry she realized she was, Amethyst just now noticed how dry her throat had been, too. Pearl glanced at her for a second, raising an eyebrow. She adjusted one of the knobs on the stove before reaching towards another cabinet. A few seconds later, she held a starred mug under the kitchen sink, letting it fill over another couple of seconds.

"Here," she told Amethyst, turning around to place the drink in front of her. It barely made contact with the counter. Immediately, Amethyst snatched the cup up, putting the edge to her lips in a matter of moments. Water nearly spilled out of it from the speed. She closed her eyes as she drank, finding something as simple as water to be the equivalent of liquid gold. The cup was emptied not much later. As it turned out, she'd been remarkably thirsty, similar to the arid feel of her throat back when Steven had first found her in the bathroom earlier in the day. Amethyst lowered the cup back onto the counter. A satisfied sigh fell from her lips, mirroring the Gem's features.

"What, no soda?" she jokingly asked Pearl. Water had been more than enough for her, really, but Pearl's gesture improved her mood enough for the off-hand humor to be possible. Pearl just smirked and shook her head. She shut off the rush of water flowing out of the kitchen sink, moving back in front of the stove a second later.

"We should focus on your health, first," the Gem responded. She knew Amethyst well enough to read her hidden gratitude. That didn't stop her from being as motherly as usual. "Steven's not the only one worried about you."

Amethyst nodded. She had to grin at her companion's care, finding it nice. Her thirst sated, Amethyst glanced outside through the window of the Temple, looking towards the sky once more. It was becoming increasingly blue as the moon began climbing upwards into the stars. There was probably something symbolic there, though Amethyst wasn't the kind of person to look very hard for that sort of thing. She waited at the counter top for a short while, thinking more about her best friend than the atmosphere while she held onto her mug. Pearl noticed, but kept quiet, probably sensing something on Amethyst's mind to avoid completely returning to cooking.

"…hey, P," Amethyst started. There was a surplus of nonchalance in her voice. Ignoring it (and the odd look her tone had accrued from Pearl), she hummed, glancing towards her arms again. Part of her almost moved to rub them on a nervous instinct. She thankfully recalled that wasn't a good idea, what with the bandages adorning her limbs. Shaking her head, Amethyst looked back forwards, deciding that it wouldn't be very practical to "beat around the bush" as she usually did.

"Did Steven… I dunno, _change_ or something?"

Her question was left purposefully vague, but that apparently wasn't practical, either. Pearl only tilted her head in confusion. Interpreting the emphasis Amethyst had placed couldn't have been an easy task, even for someone as smart as Pearl.

"I… don't follow," she admitted, turning down the stovetop's heat once again. Now she seemed to move the meal-in-progress absentmindedly as opposed to having any culinary purpose in her motions. Amethyst was far less worried about the food right now, regardless of what her stomach was telling her. Pearl scratched her temple with a raised eyebrow, speaking slowly. "Steven doesn't seem any more _purple_ , if that's what you mean."

"Nah," Amethyst waved off. In a sense, that _could've_ been what she was referring to, but even she could word it better. Then again, she wasn't that specific in the first place. Oops. Thinking, Amethyst moved her mug around in a vague circle despite it being devoid of any contents. However she could've improved on Pearl's wording, Amethyst did her best to get her point across. She cleared her newly revitalized throat, gesturing over herself as she tried again. "I meant like, y'know… maybe this whole exchange ain't one-sided."

That didn't progress Pearl's understanding. It was obvious from Amethyst's tone that she was talking about something less physical than her body, but that was unfortunately all she really had to use to send the message. Pearl hummed, halting her stirring for a second. The sizzling from the pan seemed to halt in the same moment. Amethyst set down her cup as she waited in an anxious silence.

"You don't mean his body?" Pearl asked.

 _That_ was it. Amethyst nodded, glad that her friend could clarify what she couldn't. It was such a simple statement, too.

Pearl moved a thoughtful expression to the ceiling. For a second, Amethyst felt her eyes naturally drawn to the pieces of clothing she held under her arm. They had way more importance than any simple shirt and jeans should've. At least, to Amethyst.

"Now that you mention it…" Pearl eventually started. Amethyst's eyes moved back to hers, finding her companion much more contemplative than she was a minute ago. "He _did_ mention using your whip while in the warp-pad."

That wasn't exactly the direction Amethyst had meant, but now she was intrigued. Her eyebrows raised in curiosity. "He used my whip?"

Pearl nodded with a hum, looking back to the meal she was cooking. It really did smell way more incredible when Amethyst had a _necessity_ to eat rather than a desire. Still, the savory aroma couldn't distract from what the pale Gem was saying.

"He didn't say much else about it." Pearl suddenly sighed, her shoulders slouching for a second. The ribbon around her looked like it'd lost its own posture. "Though, at the time, he was much more worried… You know how he gets."

At that, Amethyst had to smirk. She placed her free hand on the countertop in a casual lean. "Yeah, I definitely do." The Gem paused for a second, tapping her finger on the counter. Whatever conversation could be had about shifting abilities and trading weapons, a different kind of exchange felt more impactful to Amethyst. Besides, she was taking a break from all the hybrid weirdness; magic Crystal Gem business could be put on hold for now.

"But, uh," Amethyst tried again. She felt her eyes move back to the bundle of clothing held under her arms. "I was asking more about if his, y'know… _personality_ changed or something."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Pearl quickly waved off. She reached a hand across the stove top, turning one of the knobs back up to a stronger temperature. The simmering gradually grew in volume as an effect. Pearl's voice compensated in its own volume, the Gem audibly confident in her assessment. "I will say he's been more concerned lately, but that's hardly unreasonable."

Pearl paused for a second, turning to face Amethyst directly. An inexplicable guilt froze her once-tapping finger as she locked eyes with the Gem. The guilt was made even more inexplicable by the sudden smile growing across Pearl's features. It wasn't the most comforting of sights.

"Is this because you feel _you've_ changed?" Pearl inquired knowingly. Not that she looked _smug,_ but her expression radiated an amused aura that was probably supposed to be endearing. Instead, it was a little intimidating. Amethyst jolted upright, waving away the question fervently.

"Nah," she denied, now tightly clutching to Steven's clothes, "still same-old same-old. You know me."

For a brief second, Amethyst frowned, glancing down at herself. A dirty and frayed outfit met her vision, worn around a body color that she still wasn't used to calling hers. "Not counting this whole body thing."

A gentle laugh rose out of Pearl. "That's not what I mean," she clarified. Though, the clarification _was_ redundant. Amethyst knew Pearl long enough to understand her words usually held more under their surface.

"You sounded just like Steven back there." She motioned towards Steven's room with her head. Amethyst glanced at the room out of the corner of her eye, unsure. The growing dusk made it look like a beacon of brightness in the Temple's dimness. Kind of an odd effect. Pearl continued, her voice regaining a bit of that conspicuous pride from before. "I think he's a good influence on you."

Normally, Amethyst would shrug off her earnest attitude, but something about it piqued her interest. That was probably due to Steven, ironically enough. He definitely had a hand in not just sharing his hybrid quality, but also in what Amethyst was feeling now. Whatever that was.

"Yeah, well—" Amethyst tried reasoning. Even with one of her arms in use, she tried wringing her hands on some nervous instinct. The clothes nearly dropped to the ground. "Guy like that tends to… y'know, get to ya. One way or another."

Pearl chuckled again. She reached to her left, pulling open a drawer and producing a short spatula from it. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Amethyst paused at the response. She thought for a moment, a nervous hum escaping her lips. "Maybe it _is,"_ she muttered, now looking to the floorboards. Pearl stopped her stirring for a second, and Amethyst didn't need to look up to know the grimace she wore.

"…Amethyst?" she started. Her tone grew much quieter, barely distinguishable above the ambient cooking of the stovetop. After a considerable delay, she turned the knob just a little, reducing the sizzle of whatever she was cooking up. "Is there… something else you wanted to talk about?"

Amethyst felt herself laugh, but it was too cynical to have any positive impact. "Not really," she admitted. _Wanting_ to discuss it was different. Still, there was an annoying necessity that she was hesitant to bring up. Only Steven's recent influence allowed her to accept as much. "But, there might be something I… maybe _need_ to."

Sighing, Amethyst stepped forwards, moving herself to one of the seats in front of the countertop. A cushioned _*thump*_ followed. She tossed Steven's clothes onto the marble just to her left, allowing her to prop her elbows up on the surface while she sat. Pearl broke away from the pan, turning around just in time to see Amethyst put her head in her palms. The action was more out of frustration than despair, though Amethyst would be lying if she said that wasn't close to a contributor. Pearl's own hands lay themselves on the counter to either side of her.

"Is it something to do with how Steven… _affected_ your body?" she asked first. Leave it to her to assume the motherly role of worrying so much. Then again, Amethyst didn't say anything beyond telling her there was something she had to talk about. Mentioning exactly what that "something" _was_ didn't feel right enough to even hint at the matter. Amethyst shook her head, humming a quick denial. Her eyes settled on the bundle of clothing to her side once more.

"Are you worried about that island?" Pearl tried again. All things considered, Amethyst was surprised Pearl couldn't connect the dots right away. The very first question she'd taken to the Gem was more relevant than she seemed to realize. Pearl suddenly straightened her back, now sounding confident again. She probably took Amethyst's silence as confirmation. "Rest assured, we can ignore that awful place for the time being."

The word "awful" was said with a personal spin of revulsion, which was a little enjoyable coming from Pearl. Amethyst shook her head again, scratching her cheek for a moment.

"Not that," she told Pearl. A dissatisfied hum met her denial. Thankfully, Pearl didn't complain about the lack of help Amethyst gave. Amethyst's new look probably gave her companion a little more patience. She'd take what she could get. Eventually, Pearl asked one last question, now hesitant instead of certain.

"Is it… Steven?"

Bingo. Amethyst didn't respond right away, giving Pearl enough information to treat her second lack of an immediate answer as a "yes". How glued her eyes were to the pink shirt of her best friend was probably a good indicator regardless. Pearl's hands visibly relaxed in tandem with her posture, the Gem leaning closer to Amethyst. From the corner of her eye, she could see Pearl's features morph into a curious pout. She didn't want to, but Amethyst forced herself to at least clarify what she could to Pearl.

"Well, kind of," she said, her voice uncharacteristically small. Covering up how she felt was irrelevant with all that's happened, and it would probably continue to be irrelevant for as long as she knew Steven. So, forever, really. Amethyst pushed what she could through her vocal cords, still _really_ not wanting to say any of it. "It's more like… how I… feel. About him."

Some part of Amethyst wanted to add "But not in a weird way!" out of paranoia, but at that point, she'd be lying. It was too soon to pin down that extra weird feeling as some worrying complex; at the same time, not understanding it meant the feeling could theoretically be anything. Calling it some unreasonable obsession was only one potential cause for concern. Pearl didn't respond immediately, letting Amethyst's paranoid instincts get the better of her.

"That came out wrong," she tried backpedaling despite the dishonesty. Her phrasing didn't exactly come out wrong. Just that it felt a little wrong to say, in a sense. "I mean, like, what he _is._ To me."

Amethyst rubbed her temples, groaning at how inept she was with something as simple as speaking. "Nope, still sounds weird…"

Pearl seemed to hesitate for a second. Now wasn't the best time for that, since she was what Amethyst was relying on for the speaking portion of her conflict. It was pretty obvious she couldn't accomplish any verbal understanding herself. After her lengthy pause, Pearl made an effort to respond, untensing her hands. Amethyst glanced at her for a second, seeing her features similarly relax.

"I don't think it's all that weird," Pearl returned. Her voice was surprisingly honest; quiet without being shy. Amethyst looked up for a second, watching Pearl as she continued. "I'd honestly be _worried_ if you felt exactly the same by now."

That much was true. Becoming the second Gem-human hybrid in all of existence had definitely put things into a different perspective. A more earnest one, one that Amethyst found herself admitting as a little outside her usual character. The occurrence wasn't strictly wrong or bad, just… well, weird. Pearl continued while Amethyst contemplated herself.

"You two are much closer now than you've ever been before," the pale Gem added. Her tone grew prouder, as did her posture. Not in that knowing way Pearl tended to use, but more in a way like she was praising Amethyst's emotional ability. Somehow. "Surely you of all people noticed how protective he's become."

Once more, Amethyst felt herself laugh. It wasn't nearly as cynical this time, though. Not exactly joyful, either, but the noise had sounded more accepting than before.

"Believe me, I noticed," she said, now sitting up a tad straighter on the stool. Pearl seemed glad that she was making progress on Amethyst's mood. The improvement allowed Amethyst to speak up again, trying to simultaneously give Pearl more to work with and figure herself out. "But… I dunno, I feel like I'm not supposed to _be_ protected so much."

Instantly, the corners of Pearl's mouth slid down in a grimace. "Like you don't deserve it?" she quickly asked back. A frightening degree of worry worked its way into her tone over less than a second later. "Amethyst, you know you—"

"Nah, nah," Amethyst waved defensively. That wasn't the point of contention, especially because the whole matter had been resolved a long time ago. Steven played a big role in that fiasco, too. "I'm not talking about self-confidence or whatever. I'm sayin'…"

Pearl waited, probably hesitant to assume more. Or maybe she was just letting Amethyst speak for herself, since that was currently a bit more important. Speaking for herself was ironically something Amethyst tended to do in excess. Being unable to accomplish as much now didn't feel funny to her. Still, she at least tried to place the feeling, nervously shifting herself on the stool as she spoke.

"You heard me when I woke up," Amethyst admitted. She threw a hand behind her, motioning towards Steven's room in the adjacent corner of the Temple. The lamp was still on. "The first thing I asked about, the _most important_ thing in the world, was him. It… still kinda is, in a way."

Pearl hummed, tilting her head. Unlike Amethyst, she didn't seem to think that was too strange of a priority. "That's understandable," she reasoned. The situation was probably a lot simpler to her than to Amethyst. Not that she really expected otherwise. "Considering your… injuries, it makes sense that he'd be your number one priority."

"Does it, though?" Amethyst returned, remaining skeptical. She was getting a little frustrated; not at Pearl's inability to understand, as that was mostly due to Amethyst's own inability to give a straight answer (not out of lack of trying), but more frustrated at how simultaneously paranoid and dire Steven's own priorities had made her. It couldn't have been something so important as to warrant some psychoanalysis, and yet that's what Pearl and herself were accomplishing.

"I'm not talkin' about getting healed, Pearl," she tried saying. Being called by her proper name instead of the sometimes-endearing "P" made the Gem stand a little straighter. Amethyst found herself now looking to the side, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm thinking, like… maybe I'm relying on him _too_ much."

For once, Pearl didn't put her own logic on what Amethyst was saying. Her eyebrows brought themselves together, the rest of her features appearing both contemplative and concerned. It wasn't the rarest expression she could've had.

"I dunno, I don't wanna act like it's a bad thing," Amethyst added. She took a deep breath, trying to slow herself down for the sake of cohesion. Still Pearl wore that maternal mixture on her face, semi-reflected in the countertop's clean surface. "'Cause, really, it's not. But it just feels _weird_. Usually I rely on myself so much instead of someone else."

Pearl rose a protesting hand, but Amethyst continued.

"Yeah, I know, I _can,_ and sometimes I _should_ rely on you n' Garnet n' Steven. And I'm really grateful for that."

The admittance placated Pearl enough to drop her hand. Again, Amethyst had the odd thought that she sounded a little too much like Steven just then. Right now, however, sounding like Steven seemed beneficial more than anything else. It was definitely better for the current context. Amethyst's usually sarcastic and laid-back casualness would do little to reach any sort of cathartic understanding.

"But, now, with Steven…" Amethyst continued again only to trail off after four words. She didn't have much of an idea on where they were going. Pearl did her best to fill in the rest.

"Now you feel… _different_ about his protection?" she tried, sounding hesitant. A repeated answer was better than nothing. Amethyst hummed.

"I mean, yeah," she granted, "But it's not how darn protective he is." Pearl hummed herself, bringing a hand to her chin. Emotions weren't exactly Amethyst's forte, considering, but Pearl's effort in helping her was appreciated enough. Somehow she thought Garnet would be less helpful (no offense intended towards the fusion). Thinking, Amethyst attempted to explain further.

"Like I said, maybe it's… what he _is."_

The words felt like they hoarded all the sound in the room for themselves. There seemed to be an echo, even. Nonplussed, Pearl rose her features to Amethyst. The surprise on hers mirrored a portion of Amethyst's.

"…'the most important thing in the world,'" Pearl slowly let out. Her words only mimicked Amethyst's in what they were, as the tall Gem's tone sounded like more of an epiphany than a complaint. Amethyst felt the words sink in like concrete. Barely, she nodded, looking downwards again at her arms. It was so strange for the color to be determined by Steven more than herself.

"Something like that," Amethyst eventually stated. Her eyebrows creased themselves together. If there was ever a time for honesty, now was it, in spite of how frequently Amethyst tended to avoid honesty. She took a deep breath, putting her hands more purposefully onto the countertop.

"I was always the big sister," Amethyst breathed out. After some time, Pearl visibly recoiled at the description. Whatever the delay was for, it did well to give Amethyst's words the importance she'd meant for them to have. It wasn't really news to her, obviously, but Pearl didn't seem to expect the title Amethyst granted herself so long ago.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you describe yourself like that," she said, almost whispering. Judging by her surprise, Pearl was hesitant to assign any familial titles to herself or anyone in their unconventional family. The most of a concrete role anyone had was Greg's status as a father and Rose's status as a mother, and even the latter wasn't simple enough to always be called as such. Placing titles like "sister" wasn't something she was used to. Amethyst, on the other hand, knew enough about humans to understand what role she tended to serve for Steven. She shook her head.

"I know, Gems don't got siblings," she added for Pearl's sake. Another pause passed. Then, Pearl nodded, persuading Amethyst to clarify further. "And I'm not a _real_ sis, but I kinda always thought that's what I was. Rabble-rousing bad influence for Steven."

At the last clarification, Pearl smirked. She seemed to understand what Amethyst meant a tad better now. Using the terminology out loud felt weird in its own right, so Amethyst reciprocated the appreciation. Pearl hummed, evidently reaching her own understanding about the matter.

"So," she started tentatively, "you've considered Steven a… younger brother? A 'little' brother?"

Now she was getting it. "Yeah," Amethyst confirmed, nodding. Pearl seemed satisfied that she understood what the Gem was getting at. "Always figured he was the innocent kid I was more-or-less tryin' to corrupt."

Pearl visibly smiled, even chuckling a little. Amethyst would be lying if she said the laughter hadn't helped her own mood.

"Well, looks like you're going to have to try a bit harder," Pearl joked. Somehow, she managed to get Amethyst to laugh in spite of the original severity their conversation held.

"Hey, give it time," she returned with a shrug. A couple more laughs followed. Pearl shook her head. As agreeable as the mirth was, Amethyst forced herself to return to their previous problem. Pearl was less hesitant to return to seriousness, but didn't seem as grim about the matter. Amethyst drew out a lengthy hum, looking towards her arms again. She felt the curve of her grin gradually flatten out into a troubled line.

"But now, I'm… not so sure."

Some degree of bother returned to Pearl's expression. She leaned a little closer, probably hesitant to assume whatever Amethyst had meant. Ironically, Amethyst was hoping for some kind of assumption, if only so she could avoid having to clarify the matter herself. "Now I don't know if that's what I am anymore. A big sister, I mean."

Every subsequent word that left Amethyst's lips grew quieter and quieter, resulting in the last few being barely anything more than a whisper. The distance between herself and Pearl didn't affect how well she could be heard, though. With how quiet the rest of the Temple was, hearing anything else would take a bit more effort. Eventually, Pearl resumed speaking, matching Amethyst's quiet.

"You mean- as in, now you're the _little_ sister?" she tried. Pearl likely didn't know enough of human families to understand what Amethyst was saying. She couldn't be faulted for that much, but it still didn't help Amethyst's case. "Because of Steven's protective attitude towards you?"

The second part felt more relevant than the first, which reinforced Pearl's first question. Maybe that was it. A change in the pseudo family hierarchy. Amethyst hummed. Though it was the best to go on, she still wasn't sure.

"Maybe," she answered back, still thinking. Awarding any of her reliance on Steven to something as simple as a title change didn't feel right to her. "But, I mean, I'm still _way_ older than him. Could be why it feels so darn weird, then."

Pearl hummed, sounding oddly skeptical. Curious, Amethyst rose her eyes to her. Then she cleared some of the bangs from her eyes, making sure that she wasn't misinterpreting the cross of Pearl's arms. She looked to the ceiling with a tight-lipped grimace, leaning backwards a tad like her legs were also crossed in a shy pose. Her shoulders seemed tense.

"What?" Amethyst asked, unsure of what Pearl's posture was getting at. Just because it was as dramatic as usual didn't mean Amethyst could read it all that well. That, and the given response to her admittance about her age didn't make much sense. Pearl's mouth widened a fraction, tilting to one side in a knowing smirk.

"I… don't really know about that," she said slowly. She had that conspicuously high pitch people possessed when they obviously had more to say. Nothing was added to the distrust Amethyst had received. Finding it still nonsensical, she matched Pearl's skeptical expression to the letter. A few seconds of quiet passed as Amethyst narrowed her eyes, both confused and suspicious. Pearl eventually explained herself. Or, attempted to.

"You don't…" she started. Another hum followed the two words she was able to give. One of her hands moved itself to her chin, the other turning its palm upwards in a shy expression that equated to "please don't be mad." That's how Amethyst saw it, at least. More seconds of quiet passed before Pearl could continue again. "Would you believe you look… younger?"

The caveat was so odd that Amethyst couldn't react right away. Even when she did, all she mustered was a confused blink. Pearl explained again, now raising both her palms towards the Gem.

"Not younger than Steven." She took a moment to adjust the short neck of her teal top. "Just… younger, I suppose."

Amethyst still didn't quite get it. Pearl seemed to be skirting around whatever she wanted to say directly, which wasn't that helpful considering what Amethyst was trying to figure out. Plus, she never realized how irksome a non-straight answer could be. Maybe she'd try being honest in the future if this was what she always put Pearl and Garnet through (though, Garnet tended to see into whatever Amethyst said better, in more ways than one).

"So you're saying I look like a teenager or something?" Amethyst questioned back. Somehow, talking about her supposed age now didn't feel relevant to her relationship with Steven anymore. Now it felt like a comparatively minor detail, or a distraction at best. Pearl shook her head, though even _that_ action radiated skepticism and hesitation.

"Maybe not _that_ far," she reasoned, "but you definitely don't look to be in your thousands."

None of the Gems really did, but Amethyst thought she got what Pearl was saying. Now that she was so human-looking, the hidden number of digits behind her age couldn't have been that easily realized anymore. Having a more humanized skin color probably made it harder to remember where she came from. Combine that with the common black of her hair and arguably _juvenile_ freckles, and Amethyst thought that she might've even had a hard time trying to go to R-rated movies.

"Thanks…?" Amethyst uncertainty granted, barely a hint of appreciation in her voice. She wasn't sure why Pearl was treating how she looked with as much importance as she did. After all, the main reason Amethyst had come to her for help was what she felt about her best friend; moreover, figuring out exactly that. "But, um, don't see what that's gotta do with Steven."

Pearl didn't expect Amethyst's response, tilting her head in befuddlement. She gestured to Steven's clothes, the shirt and jeans still lying in an unceremonious heap on the countertop. "You said that your age could've been why feeling like a younger sister was so strange."

The message clicked in Amethyst's head, nearly audible in the quiet of the evening. Pearl was talking about the shift in titles Steven might've induced with his protective nature. Though, the main reason Amethyst had been lost on how the two were related was how she wasn't so ready to call herself a "little" sister. Surely she _should've_ still been the older bad-influence, right? At the very least, calling Steven a big brother _definitely_ didn't feel right, for multiple reasons. The guy's naivety was only one of them. Reading Amethyst's expression, Pearl scratched her chin again.

"Twins!" she suddenly exclaimed like some grand epiphany. Amethyst recoiled from the sudden vigor her friend had gained over less than a half dozen seconds. Then she realized Pearl's tone had more to do with being pleased with herself than finding the solution to infinite energy. Still, Amethyst was skeptical.

"Twins?" she repeated as a question. Pearl nodded, crossing her arms like the single word solved everything. Though, maybe she was still just proud of herself for knowing a slightly more obscure familial term.

"It would explain the mutual change you've had on each other," Pearl explained. Now she spoke with a real sense of accomplishment. Amethyst's expression remained contorted into a confused pout. Seeing it, Pearl slowed herself, revealing whatever logic she used to Amethyst. "Why he's become so much more protective and you're unable to place that protection. Because you've never been a _twin_ before."

Again, the word dripped with pride as she said it. That title wasn't what Amethyst found herself focusing on, though. Weirdly enough, a different part of Pearl's message got through to her.

"I've never been…" she muttered to herself, unsure. Pearl, after another few moments of self-satisfaction, noticed Amethyst's uncertainty. She dropped her arms.

"Does that make sense?" she asked. Despite how fulfilled she sounded a second ago, Pearl's question was reminiscent of her earlier apprehension to assume. Amethyst didn't pay enough mind to notice much about the Gem's voice. That was a valid point; she _had_ never been a twin before. If she'd somehow become the little sister, then there would surely be _some_ familiarity, right? After all, she noticed enough about Steven to know what a younger sibling ought to act as, and her actions now didn't even come close to lining up with that.

"Yeah," she ultimately decided. She must've been some twin to Steven, now. Both of them being hybrids added to the title, as did their shared color of hair. Maybe Steven didn't have as good of a tan or freckles, but twins didn't always look identical. Plus, Amethyst's Gem has definitely gained a pinker tint, and she had reason to believe Steven's own Gem was now more purple in its pigmentation. Amethyst nodded again, more enthusiastically. "Yeah, that's gotta be it. Twins."

Pearl grew satisfied once again, albeit in a more endearing way due to helping Amethyst rather than any sort of pride on her intellect. A wide grin grew on her features.

"That also explains your…" Pearl cleared her throat, doing her best to suppress the enthusiasm of her voice. She really _did_ enjoy solving Amethyst's conundrum so succinctly. Amethyst glanced to her, now sitting up straighter on her seat while Pearl spoke. "How you look more like Steven. In terms of age, I mean."

Amethyst had to wonder exactly how much younger Pearl assumed she looked. The subtle reflection in the counter-top didn't offer enough of an image for Amethyst to see clearly. She certainly didn't feel like some adolescent on the "cusp of puberty" (whatever that was). Understanding Pearl's justifiably skewed perspective, Amethyst shook her head.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. Reaching an explanation for the effects of Steven's protective nature was more what Amethyst was grateful for. That whole "visual age" thing could come later, if it even had to. Amethyst had her doubts. Regardless, Amethyst gave a grateful smirk to her companion alongside an earnest thanks.

"Glad I could help," Pearl said with a nod. Amethyst returned it with one of her own. Weird how Pearl was the one to place Amethyst's new role, not herself nor Steven. Admittedly, Amethyst had to wonder if he'd agree with it. There was a definite possibility he called her something different. For now, though, Amethyst took it, and confidently reached towards her borrowed clothes. The motion seemed to remind Pearl about something.

Immediately, the Gem turned back around, whipping towards the stovetop she left unattended since their conversation first started. Amethyst heard a disgusted grunt from her companion, guessing there was a disgusted grimace to go with it. Knowing her usual mannerisms, it wasn't too unrealistic. The short Gem sat up higher on the stool to see what had repulsed Pearl so much. Then her own features twisted into a repulsed grimace.

What had at one point in time been the beginning of a delicious egg-based meal had now shriveled up and burned to a blackened crisp of charcoal. Somehow, the mound of solid ash seemed evil. Amethyst let out her own disgusted grunt with an added degree of disappointment. It'd smelled so good earlier. Now the brief traces of scent offered were more reminiscent of whenever Amethyst had attempted to cook.

"I, um…" Pearl started, sounding embarrassed. She tentatively picked up the spatula she used earlier, taking a poke at the pan's contents. What little solidity the chunk had crumbled to a black dust. Pearl coughed, waving the ash away fervently. "I might have to restart."

Though Amethyst's stomach complained with an upset groan, the Gem found herself laughing somewhat. Pearl's apologetic attitude seemed comical, in a charming kind of way. Now that she was no longer troubled by the oddness Steven had indirectly given her, Amethyst found herself with enough patience to give Pearl a shrug.

"'S'alright," she told her, grasping Steven's clothes again. Pearl picked up the pan at the furthest possible point and carefully moved it towards the nearby trash can, treating the steel bowl like a radioactive mine. Amethyst watched with an amused fascination, slow to head back towards the bathroom. It was unfortunate she had no immediate way take a picture of Pearl's queasy expression. There was a slight ridge of egg that had become more of a stain than a pile of ash, and it didn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon. After a couple more amused seconds, Amethyst broke herself away, facing the Temple's interior as she tossed her words behind her. "Probs gonna be a long shower, anyways."

Just a second after Amethyst's dirt-covered boots hit the floorboards, Pearl audibly snapped her fingers with a matching "Ah, right!"

Amethyst turned around to face her, one foot frozen just an inch off the floor. She seemed to struggle with getting the remnants of egg off of the pan, but didn't award that as much focus as Amethyst. Pearl's free hand reached towards something just next to the stove.

"Here," Pearl called Amethyst over, picking up the object to put it on the counter between them. Then she picked up the spatula again and resumed working on the food stain of the pan. Curious, Amethyst strode back to the counter, glancing at what Pearl was apparently giving her. The mug she drank from earlier blocked a portion of her view. While Pearl tried waving the pan over the trash can once more (what a sight that was), Amethyst moved the cup aside. A white rectangle of a device met her eyes, looking familiar.

"Your phone?" Amethyst asked, picking up the box. She didn't immediately get what Pearl was trying to convey. Turning on the screen let her see an impressive slew of messages spanning the surface, though every single one was titled the same. Even before she read whom they were from, Amethyst felt herself grin at the copious warnings Steven was giving Pearl about the right nutrition and food groups. There was even a link to some health website in there. A grunt of exertion from Pearl moved Amethyst's eyes back to her.

"You could use it more than me," she told the Gem, scraping at the pan with the same vigor she usually used when handling her spear. It would've more impressive if that had any effect on the pan's contents, but Amethyst was entertained either way. Pearl explained further, speaking between harsh grates of metal and ash. "I figured— _ugh_ — you'd want some way— _come on_ — to still talk with Steven."

Pearl's efforts continued for a short while, allowing Amethyst ample time to make sure of what Pearl was offering. It wasn't often she was trusted enough to throw away her empty soda cans, much less with the primary method of communication Pearl owned. Still, judging by how much more focus Pearl was giving the pan, Amethyst had to guess she'd made the decision already. Maybe Steven had played a role in that. Uncertain, Amethyst glanced at the phone again, finding her eyes drawn to the repeated countenance of her companion.

"…thanks, P," was all she said to the Gem. Pearl nodded, seemingly understanding, then managed to get the spatula caught on some solid edge inside the pan. Her eyebrows visibly elevated in triumph. Now smirking, she pushed at an angle once more, though couldn't seem to make much headway, which prompted her to push harder. Amethyst stared for a couple seconds. Briefly, Pearl relaxed her grasp, then shoved the spatula back into the pan with all her might. A resounding _*snap*_ soon followed.

Both Gems stared at the broken edge of steel that had previously been the spatula's handle. The head of the spatula was firmly stuck in the fused charcoal of egg that had long since melted into the pan. After an incredulous blink, Pearl looked back to Amethyst, wide-eyed. She returned the stare with her own elevated expression of surprise. Groaning, Pearl untensed both of her hands, letting the pan and fragments of spatula fall into the trash can with their respective _*thunks_ *.

"Don't mention it," Pearl said, dusting her palms off. She reached towards another cabinet, this time getting a bowl out instead. Amethyst gave a subtle nod. Whatever she had to say about the loss of cooking implements was kept to herself, and Pearl glanced over the event like it'd never happened. "I know you and Steven have a lot to talk about."

Again, Amethyst gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah," she muttered, looking at the phone again. She couldn't stop herself from activating the screen once again, glancing over Steven's numerous texts to Pearl. The concern of Amethyst's health was still something else, even if she and Pearl had worked out why it'd felt as such. That might've been why Amethyst found herself hesitant to tell Steven of the phone's shift in ownership right away. She still had a shower to take, though, and she got the feeling that starting a conversation with Steven now would delay that shower considerably. As in, probably put it off until tomorrow by the least.

She locked the phone's screen after one last lingering look, pocketed the device, and tightened her grasp around Steven's clothes.

" _Twins."_

* * *

 **A/N:** Derpa derpa lots of words. I'm so paranoid of dialogue-heavy chapters SUCKING, so if it _does_ suck, feel free to tell me and I'll do what I can to improve it. Aaa I'm not good with move mouth word sound. Thanks for readin'! Hope to see ya around.


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